Tag: children

Review for King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green

Genre – Fantasy, Historical fiction,

Series – This is a collection of stories taken from older tales.

Rating – PG-13 for violence and suggestive themes

Synopsis –

This novel tells the of King Arthur’s rises to power in Britain. Merlin, a good wizard, hides Arthur when he is still a child and places him with foster parents. Once Arthur pulls a magical sword from a stone, he lineage is revealed, and he is crowned king. Arthur gathers knights of renown to cleanse the land from evil. His knights embark on various quests to gain glory and honor.

My Thoughts –

My sister and I had recently started watching the BBCs Merlin. After finishing season one, which I really enjoyed, I thought I would go back and reread the book. The author took stories from a variety of poetic version and condensed them for children.

I had read this years ago back when I was in middle school, and I had a vague recollection of a few stories. I enjoyed going back and rereading this classic. I got a lot more out of it the second time. There were several knights that I had completely forgotten about like Percival and Galahad. Also I had forgotten the whole quest for the holy grail.

Overall, I would say that I enjoyed these stories. A few characters got on my nerves *cough* Launcelot I am looking at you. Merlin was only in like the first 3 stories which was surprising as I had thought he was more of main character. After Arthur becomes king, Arthur takes a step back from the story and his knights take over.

I do feel like the story felt a little stifled. It repeated a lot! The knights would joust, break their lance, then proceed to fight until their opponent bled to death. I am not sure how much the author changed from the original manuscripts. So who knows, maybe the original story was different. Also almost every quest involved saving a women from an evil knight. I just wish there could have been a little variety there.

As a side note if you do want to hear another take on King Arthur I would recommend listening to the Myths and Legend podcast. It is aimed at adults though. Here is a link to some of his King Arthur ones. https://www.mythpodcast.com/4/episode-1a-yvainglory/

Violence –

The violence doesn’t go into descriptive detail, but it is there. Many mentions of knights getting their heads chopped off. One night comes back to life afterwards. Since they joust in just about every chapter, the author mentions them fighting until the ground is soaked with their blood. Many characters suffer from a mortal wound. A few characters have odd illnesses that plague them. There is a huge battle where there are literally only 4 survivors. One of the holy relics that goes with the Holy Grail is a bleeding spear that pierced Christ’s side.

Language – None

Innuendo –

Most of the suggestive themes are referenced in veiled terms. The whole thing of Uther falling in love with Igrayne, another man’s wife, only gets about a sentence. There are several kisses between knights and their lady love. Not descriptive at all. Now I do want to mention the whole Launcelot and Guinevere thing. In the earlier parts of the book, just says that Launcelot fell in love with Guinevere at first sight and fought for her, but later on we find out she falls for him as well. They eventually kiss and supposedly going to do other stuff, but they are found out.

I will say Launcelot tries to do the right thing by forgetting about Guinevere, but sadly, this doesn’t last long. It is shown to be wrong and a priest confronts him about it. It is part of the reason why he is not allowed to see the Holy Grail.

Other –

Just a quick mention that there is some magic throughout. Mostly enchantments that are put upon a person unwillingly. Also Morgana Le Fay has the ability to transform herself into other objects.

Conclusion –

This book is great starting point for someone interested in the legend of King Arthur. It is filled with daring quests and fighting for what is right. It is a classic in its own right. I enjoyed going back and rereading this classic, although it is a bit repetitive at times. These stories have been around several hundred years. So, if you haven’t read it, give it a go.

Have you read any books about King Arthur? Do you have a favorite story? or Movie? Love to hear your thoughts!!

Anna

Review for Quest

Quest by Aaron Becker

Wordless picture book

Age range- 2-5

Book Rating – G

Summary –

It is a tale of two kids who go on an adventure to help a king save his kingdom from destruction. Their goal is to find the missing crayons before the guards catch them.

My Thoughts –

So, I stumbled upon this book in the wordless section at my library. I looked through it first and decided to show the kids at work. It was hands down a winner!!! They loved it, and I love narrating what the characters are doing. 🙂

First, the illustrations are amazing. They really draw the reader into the story. I get more out of the story the more I read it. Lots of little details hiding in the pictures. What is even cooler, is that the kids in the story draw some of the illustrations. Think of the movie Bedtime Stories and that is kinda of what happens here.

Secondly, the plot is quite creative. The story spans all three books and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The author does a great job inspiring kids to use their imagination. Certain characters develop more then other characters. It is a neat twist on fantasy for young children.

Just a side note, but this is the second book in a wordless trilogy. I did not know that when I first read it to the kids. They kept asking for more “king books” and I found out there are two more. We have read them as well and the kids adore all of them.

Language – None

Violence –

There are some guards with spears chasing the kids throughout the book , but nothing happens.

Innuendo – None

Conclusion

If you know a young child, run over to your nearest library and find this book! I enjoyed so much and the kids at work beg me to read it. The illustrations are bold and colorful. Plus, it depicts different types of geography.

Until next time,

Anna

Review for The Umbrella

The Umbrella by Ingrid and Dieter Schubert

Synopsis –

This is a story about a little dog who ends up going on an adventure that takes him around the world. He visits Africa, the jungle, and even the ocean.

My Thoughts-

I recently found this book at my local library and read it to the kids at work. They have asked to hear this story over and over. It is still a current favorite after a couple of weeks. The pictures are beautiful, and the more times I read it, the more things I can point out to the kids. The fun thing about wordless books is that I can discuss things with the kids that I think are important like what animals live in Africa or what facial expressions the dog is making.

Violence –

One picture does show native Americans holding spears, but they are not in detail. You see the spears fly through the air and one hits the dog’s umbrella.

Another picture shows the little dog surrounded by alligators and one snake (as my kids like to point out). Nothing is directly shown.

You do see the elephant trunk who rescues the dog and blows him to safety.

Language – None, it is wordless after all.

Innuendo – None

Conclusion –

This is a delightful little book that introduces kids to using their imagination and different regions around the world. Throughout the book, you will enjoy seeing the adventurers the dog goes through. The one native American scene may need some discussion, but overall this is a book I highly recommend. Age range probably 2-5 on this one.