Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody - OPTIONAL

Cody, Matthew Will in Scarlet, 184 p. Knopf (Random), 2013.  $17.  Violence: PG (similar to Robin Hood).  

Will’s father has left him charge of the castle and the family as Father leaves with King Richard to conquer the Holy Land for England.  Unfortunately, that means that young Will must defend his people and his property from the greedy hands of Prince John, who will use any excuse to attack and conquer.  After a major disaster, Will is forced into the forest, where he becomes part of a band of young people who have also been John’s victims and they try to first stay alive, but second, make John’s life miserable.  

I am not really sure how popular Robin Hood retellings are at the moment.  While my items about knights and such do circulate, my students are not clamoring for them.  Good swashbuckling stuff, just a small audience.  

MS – OPTIONAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher.

Otherworld Chronicles: The Invisible Tower by Nils Johnson-Shelton- ADVISABLE

Johnson-Shelton, Nils Otherworld Chronicles: The Invisible Tower.  352pgs. Harper Collins, 2012. $16.99. Language G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’), Sexual Content G, Violence G.

This book is about a cloning of King Arthur with the DNA of his parents.  He is now the same King Arthur but with a new Knights of the Round Table.  He must now fight to free Merlin the wizard from his prison which is called the invisible tower.  He will endure many foes and in the end he will become a totally different person.  

I liked this book because I got to learn more about King Arthur.  I think it was cool that he was able to choose the new Knights of the Round Table.  I liked the part when he went on the quest to get the great sword, the Excalibur.  The book starts off a little slow and I wasn’t thrilled about finishing it.  But then it became one of my favorite books to read.  I can’t wait to read the sequel.  I would have given it an EXCEPTIONAL rating if it hadn’t taken so long to get interesting.  (It wasn’t until about page 50 that I started liking the book.)  

EL. ADVISABLE. Reviewer: ML- age 14. 

Swords by Ben Boos - ADVISABLE

Boos, Ben Swords, 83 p. Candlewick, 2008, 2012.  $13.00.  Content: G.  

A combination of gorgeous drawings and lots of historic information make for a heady, intriguing book about swords and the history of swordcraft around the world.  The illustrations will draw many boys to this book, but it is chock full of facts to fill them with good information.  My only problem with this book is that too many of the swords are drawn with nicks in them - from everything I know (I admit it is not much), I believe that a decent swordsman would grind out nicks or replace their sword at that point, because that nick is a dangerous weakness in battle.  But anyway - if you have a teenage boy, a LARP-er or just a weapons enthusiastic around, this would very much appeal to them.  

MS, HS - ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher

Ghost Knight by Cornelia Funke - ADVISABLE

Funke, Cornelia Ghost Knight, 330 pgs. Little, Brown and Company, 2012. Language - PG (13 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - PG; Violence - PG; 

Jon has been replaced as the man of the house. His mom is going to marry "the Beard" and is sending Jon to a boarding school. Jon was convinced that he was going to be miserable there, and he was right--until he met Ella and Longspee. 

Cornelia Funke is a great author, so I was excited to read her new book.Though it's geared toward readers younger than me, I still found it very entertaining. There's great humor, interesting medieval history, and a captivating adventure between the covers of Ghost Knight. 

EL, MS - ADVISABLE. Reviewer: CCH

The Adventures of Sir Balin the Ill-Fated by Gerald Morris - ADVISABLE

Morris, Gerald.  The Adventures of Sir Balin the Ill-Fated, illustrated by Aaron Renier.   94 pgs. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012.  $14.99.  Content: G.  Author Gerald Morris in his series The Knight’s Tales retells the stories of legendary knights in a lighthearted and charming way for young children who are just getting introduced to chapter books (his series Squire’s Tales is great for older children).  The day of Sir Balin’s christening, an Old Woman from the Mountain comes to his home and gives a prophecy of his life.  Balin will be known as the noblest knight in England, but he shall be followed by misfortune, strike a Dolorous Stroke, and cause the downfall of two kingdoms in one day.  Balin grows to adulthood and believes in his ill fate and everything goes wrong.  Finally he stops believing in the prophecy, meets a questing lady, and battles to the death (not really) with an unknown knight.  Morris’s message is clear: you can be whoever you want to be, no matter what anyone says. The ink illustrations by Aaron Renier are detailed and action-packed without being too scary.  A great book for young boys interested in knights and young ladies interested in questing.  EL – ADVISABLE.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.

The False Prince by Jennier Nielsen-ESSENTIAL

Nielsen, Jennifer, The False Prince. Scholastic Press, 2012. Pgs. 342. Language: G, Violence: PG-13, Sexual Content: G

Sage has been an orphan since he was 10. When he’s not stealing to try and help put food on the table for the other orphans at Mrs. Turbeldy’s orphanage, he’s getting into trouble. Sometimes together. When Sage gets trying to steal a roast for the orphanage, he gets bailed out by Connor, an advisor to the royal family. He soon discovers that the royal family has been killed and their youngest son has been missing and presumed dead from a pirate attack that occurred 4 years earlier. Attempting to prevent the kingdom from falling into evil regent hands, Connor has acquired four orphan boys to train and pass off as the missing prince. When one of the boys is killed trying to run away, Sage realizes that the only way to live is to get picked as the replacement prince. If he doesn’t get picked, he will be killed along with the other “loser.” To make matters worse, there’s a couple of other dark secrets that are lurking about that could destroy the kingdom. Will he succeed in becoming the replacement prince? Will Sage be able to save his home?

The characters are likable and well-developed. The plot is well-paced and intriguing. An excellent read as well as great audiobook, readers will be on their edge of their seats wanting to know what happens next. EL (5-6), MS. ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: Jessica Moody, Library Media Specialist, Olympus Jr. High.

Merlin the Book of Magic: The Ultmate Guide to the Merlin Saga by T.A. Barron-OPTIONAL

Barron, T.A., Merlin The Book of Magic: The Ultimate Guide to the Merlin Saga, Philomel Books, 2011. Pgs. 167. Language: G, Violence: G, Sexual Content: G

 Have you ever wondered what is Merlin’s source of power? Or what really happened to Merlin’s lost wings? This book will answer these questions readers have about the story and more.

Good layout and pictures. Text is easy to follow and well-written. Readers who are fans of Merlin series and King Arthur Mythology will enjoy reading this guide. EL (4-6), MS. OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.

Song of the Sword by Edward Willett-ESSENTIAL

Willett, Edward, Song of the Sword. Lobster Press, 2010. pgs.336. Language: G, Violence: PG, Sexual Content: G

After spending several years in foster care, Ariane is finally trying to start a new, happier life with her aunt. On her first day of school, she manages to make friends with Wally Knight, a shy boy who turns out to be into mythology as well. Unfortunately, he also happens to be the brother of the school bully who has taken it upon herself to make Ariane’s life miserable. To make matters worse, Ariane has been having nightmarish premonitions that seem to be coming true. When one of her frightening apparitions brings her and Wally to a lake, the two discover that they have been chosen to find the various parts of the mythical sword, Excalibur. Merlin, as it turns out, is evil and has come back to Earth as Rex Major in order to forge the sword back together. If the two don’t defeat him, he will destroy everything as they know it. Can Ariane and Wally defeat Rex Major and keep at bay Wally’s sister?

A funny, quick read for fans of King Arthur, Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, mythology, and fantasy. The characters are well-developed. The plot is intense, well-developed, and paced well. Readers will have an easy time relating to Wally and Ariane and will enjoy following them on their adventure. MS, HS. ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library