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Adam of the Road
The adventures of eleven-year-old Adam as he travels the open roads of thirteenth-century England searching for his missing father, a minstrel, and his stolen red spaniel, Nick.
Hardcover, 303 pages
Published
November 1st 1987
by Turtleback Books
(first published January 1st 1942)
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I avoided Newbery fiction when I was a child, as it felt too educational, too heavy. This one, though, I tried because of the quality of the illustrations, and I did like it well enough to read it several times. I'm still not much of a fan of historical fiction, but I do look forward to reading this with the Children's Books group here on GR. I'll write a proper review at that time, and I'll be ready to change my star rating if necessary.
Ok, read for the YLTO group: http://www.goodreads.com/topi...more
Ok, read for the YLTO group: http://www.goodreads.com/topi...more
2 likes · like · see review
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I loved this book. Yes, it started out slow and I didn't understand why Adam called his father Roger; but otherwise a very nice book. Adam does some growing up and learns about the world. The author really did her research on the details. I feel that I have really learned somethings about England in the 1200s - 1300s and I wasn't even trying.
3 likes · like · see review
Sep 28, 2008
Christina
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrens-youngadult
I read this because Katie's on a Newbery kick. Although here it says first published in 1973, it was actually from 1942, and it reads as such, but it's a nice little medieval story anyway. I found interesting the way Gray describes friendships between males - for instance, there's an innocence in the way Adam just earnestly loves his friend Perkin, with the two boys always walking arm in arm, sharing beds and doing anything for each other, that wouldn't as likely be written in that way in the cu...more
2 likes · like · see review
Sep 27, 2011
Evan L.
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
general-history
A classic that I also read back in 3rd grade. All I really remembered was the excellent feel of the book, which makes sense now because that is the main takeaway. The plot is take it or leave it, and there are several characters who you would have liked the author to develop more, thus why it gets 4 stars. But for its portrayal of Medieval England it gets a high rank. For example, she works in details such as there was only one coin minted in England at the time, how it was fashionable to swear...more
Elizabeth Janet Gray- Adam of the Road (Puffin Books 1988) 3.75 Stars
It is the thirteenth century in England and 11-year-old Adam wants nothing more than to be a minstrel. His father is the personal minstrel of royalty and he is coming to take Adam to learn the tricks of the trade. Adam is taking his red spaniel, Nick, with him and when his dog is stolen he finds himself searching many roads for his beloved pet. Adam now finds himself separated from his father and Nick, and he must rely on his o...more
It is the thirteenth century in England and 11-year-old Adam wants nothing more than to be a minstrel. His father is the personal minstrel of royalty and he is coming to take Adam to learn the tricks of the trade. Adam is taking his red spaniel, Nick, with him and when his dog is stolen he finds himself searching many roads for his beloved pet. Adam now finds himself separated from his father and Nick, and he must rely on his o...more
"A road's a kind of holy thing," said Roger the Minstrel to his son, Adam. "That's why it's a good work to keep a road in repair, like giving alms to the poor or tending the sick. It's open to the sun and wind and rain. It brings all kinds of people and all parts of England together. And it's home to a minstrel, even though he may happen to be sleeping in a castle."
Adam is a young boy of eleven, spending his time in school while awaiting the return of his father, a minstrel of some repute, and t...more
Adam is a young boy of eleven, spending his time in school while awaiting the return of his father, a minstrel of some repute, and t...more
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Aug 22, 2009
Newengland
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
finished-in-2009,
ya
A rather charming, old-school "road novel" about an 11-year-old minstrel named Adam who gets separated from his father and his stolen dog, then spends 2/3rds of the novel traipsing all over 13th-century England in search of both. Adam meets all manner of people, high and low, kind and villainous, and author Elizabeth Janet Gray (who tutored the Emperor Akihito of Japan!) embeds plenty of historical tidbits along the way. Certainly you get a flavor for life on the road in those days, and of minst...more
A friend identified this as the first book he had ever read cover-to-cover all by himself, and it rang a bell; when I came across a copy I picked it up and read it. I can't honestly say if I read it as a child (I remember reading a book about a boy acrobat travelling in medieval England, with a dog. . .but nothing in the book was familiar). Certainly, I enjoyed it as an adult but with reservations I would not have had, as a child, about the degree of authenticity in the characters'language and i...more
This was a re-read for me as I read it when I was a girl but couldn't remember the story very well enough to know if it still fits with my standards that I'm trying to have for my books. I am sad to say I did not enjoy it as much as I remembered doing the first time I read it. It's not a bad book but I just wasn't as interested in the story as other books I've read.
The writer's style is very simple so that's very nice for young reader's, especially with all the new words and terms the author us...more
The writer's style is very simple so that's very nice for young reader's, especially with all the new words and terms the author us...more
Winner of the 1943 Newbery. In late 13th-century England, eleven-year-old Adam and his trusty spaniel Nick await at St. Alban's abbey the return of Adam’s father, the minstrel Roger, who has been wandering and plying his trade. The family is reunited, but after Adam's dog is stolen, he gives chase, and loses Roger again. There begins a long wandering, from London to Winchester and Oxford, over months, as Adam gets by on his minstrel skills and from the kindness of strangers.
As with most early Ne...more
As with most early Ne...more
Adam of the Road is one of those earlier Newbery Medal winners that really surprised me with its impressive depth and very well told narrative throughout its more than three hundred pages.
Robert Lawson's excellent illustrations accompany the text (making him the only author to have both written a Newbery Medal winner AND illustrated an entirely different Newbery winner, as well), and Elizabeth Janet Gray builds this story with nearly flawless writing acumen, leading our hero Adam on a roundab...more
Robert Lawson's excellent illustrations accompany the text (making him the only author to have both written a Newbery Medal winner AND illustrated an entirely different Newbery winner, as well), and Elizabeth Janet Gray builds this story with nearly flawless writing acumen, leading our hero Adam on a roundab...more
Published in the year of my birth, this 13th century young-young adult adventure is a perfect introduction to "the olden days" for the young reader, and a blessedly horror-free read for an elder catching up on what she missed 50 years ago. The independence that youngsters had as few as 100, to say nothing of 725 , years ago is no longer possible. The anguish that parents of errant children endured is no longer necessary with cell phones and email to keep us connected.
Gray writes in a Friendly ma...more
Gray writes in a Friendly ma...more
i thought this book was horrible. i wouldn't reccommend it .
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Intrigued by the fact that this novel won the 1943 Newbery Medal, as an adult reader I decided to peruse its pages. The time is June 1294 through the following spring. The place is south England: London, Winchester, and Oxford area. I was impressed by all the historical facts sown throughout the book. I did a little research on Elizabeth Janet Gray (aka Elizabeth Vining) and found the settings for Adam of the Road was explored by Ms. Gray while she was in England doing her research for "Penn". W...more
"A road's a kind of holy thing," said Roger the Minstrel to his son, Adam (11 years old). "That's why it's a good work to keep a road in repair, like giving alms to the poor or tending the sick. It's open to the sun and wind and rain. It brings all kinds of people and all parts of England together. And it's home to a minstrel, even though he may happen to be sleeping in a castle."
"Here is a story of thirteenth-century England, so absorbing and lively that for all its authenticity it scarcely se...more
"Here is a story of thirteenth-century England, so absorbing and lively that for all its authenticity it scarcely se...more
I picked this up simply because it is a Newbery winner; at some point, I'd like to read them all. And while this is not the most gripping book on the list, I found it fairly interesting. I thought I knew all I needed to know about Medieval culture, but I still managed to learn a little more here. What's more, for a reason I cannot identify, I found myself actually wanting pick it up--not duty-bound to do so--even though the simple subject matter of a boy trying to find his father and his dog isn...more
Decent story. I was pleasantly surprised. It reminds me a little of The Hobbit, maybe because they're both adventure stories. Strange coincidence--I read Sarah, Plain and Tall right after this and they mention the same song!! "Sumer is i-cumen in, 'Loude sing cuckoo"...must be some famous old English madrigal.
"Remember, Adam, a minstrel sings what his listeners want to hear. It's not for him to ease his own sorrows or tell his own joys. He's to find out how his listeners are feeling and say it...more
"Remember, Adam, a minstrel sings what his listeners want to hear. It's not for him to ease his own sorrows or tell his own joys. He's to find out how his listeners are feeling and say it...more
I loved this book. I loved the story, the time period, the language. I read this book to my sons, and they were not as into it as I was. I won't recount the story, but I'll just say I like the lost son theme, similar to Finding Nemo, and the sense of place in time, with all the quaint words. I guess it's a young adult book because the hero is young. The narrative is simple and straight forward. There was a kind of Dickensian quality where you're rooting for the hero. There are many trials and Ad...more
Jan 22, 2013
Elizabeth
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
young readers looking for a clean adventure, and older ones looking for fresh, simple writing.
Shelves:
historical
A simple, beautiful story. The descriptions are fresh and the plot easily followed but surprising. It's funny in places, serious in others. No content objections that I can remember.
The plot follows Adam, a bard's son, through many adventures as he tries to reunite with his father and find his stolen dog. While lighthearted, it takes much longer than most YA quests and the main character grows up significantly, definitely a point in its favor. I think some of my favorite parts were when Adam, d...more
The plot follows Adam, a bard's son, through many adventures as he tries to reunite with his father and find his stolen dog. While lighthearted, it takes much longer than most YA quests and the main character grows up significantly, definitely a point in its favor. I think some of my favorite parts were when Adam, d...more
“The road is the home of a minstrel” eleven-year-old Adam’s father, Roger the minstrel, teaches him. It certainly is in this book. Although the plot is slow going at times, the plausible adventures of a young minstrel are enjoyable with a certain fairytale-ish quality. You feel for him when he loses his dog and his father but are caught up in the adventure and independence of Adam as he searches - forming relationships along the way. Although Adam sports qualities that may not be commendable and...more
Adam of the Road is a book about a young minstrel who is 11 yrs. old in the 13th century England/France named Adam who lives and studies in an abbey with his roommate and friend Perkin and his dog Nick(who lives at an old lady's house). One day, while visiting nick at the "kennel," adam sees his minstrel father, Robert. So Robert offers Adam the choice to come with him and play his harp for Sir Edmund de Lisle and be an official minstrel. Adam excitedly accepts. A chain of unfortunate events hap...more
Adam of the Road was first published in 1942. I can see why it has been republished numerous times. It's intended audience is 5th. through eighth grade with a reading level of 6.1. There are numerous teaching materials readily available for use with the book.
Eleven-year-old, Adam, goes in search of his missing father Roger who is a minstral. He also searches for his faithful companion, a red Spaniel named Nick who has been taken without Adam's consent. The scene is 13th. century England during...more
Eleven-year-old, Adam, goes in search of his missing father Roger who is a minstral. He also searches for his faithful companion, a red Spaniel named Nick who has been taken without Adam's consent. The scene is 13th. century England during...more
Adam is an 11-year-old mistral in 13th century England. His father is a semi-famous and very talented mistral. Adam's best friend (his dog Nick) is stolen from him, and as he searches for him loses his father, Roger. Living off his wits and talent, Adam takes to the road to find both Nick and Roger.
This novel shows the life of a mistral and the adventures he encounters. There are also parts of songs, poems, and tales of the time. This is a Newbery Medal winner, giving great descriptions of 13th...more
This novel shows the life of a mistral and the adventures he encounters. There are also parts of songs, poems, and tales of the time. This is a Newbery Medal winner, giving great descriptions of 13th...more
I liked this story. It was fun and sweet and scattered here and there with quaint observations and bits of wisdom.
For instance, give someone a gift when you won't be seeing them for awhile -- "It was easier to say goodbye when you had something to give."
Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself -- "For the first time in his life he had played the part of an oyster. He had taken the bit of grit that was scratching him and made something of it that was comfortable to him and pleasing to someone outside...more
For instance, give someone a gift when you won't be seeing them for awhile -- "It was easier to say goodbye when you had something to give."
Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself -- "For the first time in his life he had played the part of an oyster. He had taken the bit of grit that was scratching him and made something of it that was comfortable to him and pleasing to someone outside...more
“A road’s a kind of holy thing,” said Roger the Minstrel to his son, Adam. “That’s why it’s a good work to keep a road in repair, like giving alms to the poor or tending the sick. It’s open to the sun and wind and rain. It brings all kinds of people and all parts of England together. And it’s home to a minstrel, even though he may happen to be sleeping in a castle.”
Adam is a young boy of eleven, spending his time in school while awaiting the return of his father, a minstrel of some repute, and t...more
Adam is a young boy of eleven, spending his time in school while awaiting the return of his father, a minstrel of some repute, and t...more
A boy and his doy :) England 1294. 12 year old Adam wants to be a minstrel like his father Roger. When Roger returns from minstrel training in France, he takes Adam with him on the road (the true home of a minstrel, according to Roger). Roger loses his pay and his horse in a dice game to another minstrel Jenkin. Jenkin is unhappy with the horse and steals Nicky, Adam's red spaniel. Roger and Adam chases after Jenkins but become separated. Adam continues searching for Nicky and Roger everywhere h...more
This delightful story (Newbery, 1943) follows a young minstrel as he searches for his father and his dog in the towns and villages of medieval England. His adventures and misadventures along the way bring him in touch with an array of characters and give the reader a great sense of day-to-day life in medieval times. I never quite knew where this story was going but had confidence in the author's ability to take me somewhere interesting.
This was a fun book set in the 1200s in England. It is about a boy, son of a minstrel, who is learning the trade of his father. His dog gets stolen and in the process of trying to track down the dog, he is separated from his father. The book is about the adventures that he has on his own trying to find his father and his dog. Many things happen to him and he is very resourceful. It is a fun look at life back in 13th century England.
About average Newberry winner from 1942. Adam is on a pedestrian road trip around 1200 England, initially with his minstrel father. His beloved dog is stolen and he is separated from his father. The rest of the novel tells his travels alone until a happy ending several months later. The plot is very predictable, so it isn't really a spoiler to say that he finds his dog and his father.
This is comparable to _The Hidden Treasure of Glaston_ or _A Door in the Wall_. There's less character developmen...more
This is comparable to _The Hidden Treasure of Glaston_ or _A Door in the Wall_. There's less character developmen...more
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Elizabeth Gray Vining began her distinguished writing career with children's books because she said "they enjoy their books so much, read and re-read them—which is satisfying to a hard-working author." Later she began to write for adults as well, and they, too, read and re-read her books. among the most popular of these books are Windows for the Crown Prince, The Virginia Exiles, Friend of Life, T...more
More about Elizabeth Gray Vining...
