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132nd out of 412 books
—
529 voters
Knight's Castle (Tales of Magic #2)
Roger, Anne, Eliza, and Jack find a magic way to go back into the time of Robin Hood, Rebecca, and Ivanhoe.
Paperback, 208 pages
Published
March 31st 1999
by Sandpiper
(first published 1956)
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Another well-written book from Eager, this time featuring the children of Martha and Katharine from Half Magic and Magic By the Lake. An excellent story of adventures in a magical world of knights and maidens and Robin Hood, sometimes straight up and sometimes with a twist of nonsense. The book also features a deeper plotline of a parent's illness, which serves to add weight to the story and balance some of the silly bits. The only serious drawback to this book is that it's heavily based on Ivan...more
I read this book aloud to my daughter in the hope that I'd be able to capture some of the magic it made me believe in when I read it as a child. It's extremely well written. Eager is a master storyteller. It's hopelessly out of date, though, and that would make it difficult to recommend to a young reader. While they'd get swept away in the stories within the story, it's hard to not imagine having to explain some of the slang and some of the mannerisms of the characters to readers. It's even hard...more
This is my second Eager book. This author is really a kick! He even puts a tongue-in-cheek reference to a Keats poem ("La belle dame sans merci") in one of his descriptions of a knight in the book. And then there's the kooky and completely delightful hodge-podge story itself, which includes a re-telling of the Ivanhoe story in a way that has to delight fans of Sir Walter Scott (even the purists!) Where else would you find Ivanhoe dumping the annoying Rowena and meeting up again with the sympathe...more
Nevada saying 'knights castle is a good book i like it because roger didn't believe in magic but he realized that magic can make you happy. and it happened to jack cause he didn't believe in magic ether. and i hop lot's of kids believe in magic i don't believe in magic but i trie to. no mater how old are i thing that it is nice to have a little magic in you. for fun. and do you no what i thing is magic a sun rise. and do you no why thing that because i believe in magic a little .
Ann and Roger must stay with their cousins in Baltimore for the summer while their father is in the hospital. They, along with their cousins Eliza and Jack, discover that the toy castle in Roger's bedroom not only appears to be a portal to another place and time, but that in that place, the children have substantial influence and responsibility. They find it's not easy to be heroes, but that with pluck and perserverance, they can change circumstances and situations for the better. We enjoyed rea...more
Great fun, just like the first in the series! And if you’re a fan of knights, castles, and medieval-type adventures, you might like it even better!
Like Half Magic, this is a magical adventure story featuring four kids. Like Half Magic, the kids aren’t quite in control of the magic, so it takes some funny twists and turns. And also like Half Magic, there’s character growth at the end, which adds depth to all the fun.
One thing about Edward Eager – he likes literary references. The nature of this m...more
Like Half Magic, this is a magical adventure story featuring four kids. Like Half Magic, the kids aren’t quite in control of the magic, so it takes some funny twists and turns. And also like Half Magic, there’s character growth at the end, which adds depth to all the fun.
One thing about Edward Eager – he likes literary references. The nature of this m...more
A mid 20th century children's classic. I read this because it was there. At the time I was making my way through The English Patient; oh wait I am still making my way through The English Patient!
Anyhow, any book that fell in my path that was not The English Patient had a good chance of being read. This one my son had left in my room. So I read it because it wasn't The English Patient!
Really a delightful and whimsical story. I appreciated the nod to the greatest of children's fantasy writers, E....more
Anyhow, any book that fell in my path that was not The English Patient had a good chance of being read. This one my son had left in my room. So I read it because it wasn't The English Patient!
Really a delightful and whimsical story. I appreciated the nod to the greatest of children's fantasy writers, E....more
Although the pace improved in the end, there were several aspects of this which particularly didn't work for me, the greatest being: "I cut off four heads and cleaved three knights in two." Both because it breaks what little versimilitude a "magical adventures" story has (the speaker is a young girl untrained in battle) but also because it made her 'unreal' to me - when someone's toy soldiers become real, and you take part in their battles, the act of killing cannot be taken so lightly, no matte...more
The most adventurous book of Eager's, in my opinion, both in terms of plot and in terms of actual adventure. It builds on an E. Nesbit book I haven't read (but should since I like this book so much) and a whole magical world is born and reborn several times within the book. As charming as the original Half Magic, but perhaps a little more modern, even if it is still a book of the 1950s. Like Half Magic, a great introductory fantasy book for younger readers who have graduated from picture books b...more
Mar 08, 2012
Bree
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fantasy lovers, children, those who study book theory
A gripping tale for any! Edward Eager continues to impress with his ability to weave a fascinating tale. Readers of all ages will have little problem relating to Knight's Castle, from the child who wishes to be one of the four main characters to the adult who enjoys microcosms and fantasy.
Read this with the girls. Eager admits to following after E. Nesbit, but that is cause for enthusiasm, not criticism. Like Nesbit, Eager's writing contains a clever plot, distinctive child characters who learn during their adventures, humor, and a few knowing adults who encourage magic to happen. Great fun to read aloud too.
This is probably Edward Eager's best-known book, and in most respects is probably his finest work. Once again, four children find magic in the most improbable place; in this case, a set of toy figures from the middle ages. It's a lovely fantasy; shrinking down to miniature size at night and sneaking into a playroom, to enter a medieval world of castles and knights. The illustrations in this book, and all others by Edward Eager, were by the wonderful N.M. Bodecker. They really add to the stories,...more
Read this to 8yo at bedtime one chapter at a time and we both loved it! It was great to discover a new favorite together -- I had to restrain myself from reading ahead.
(Interesting to see the Cold War influence in the story, but it flew right over the 8yo's head.)
We are starting on Half Magic now.
(Interesting to see the Cold War influence in the story, but it flew right over the 8yo's head.)
We are starting on Half Magic now.
This has been the best of Eager's books so far. I think it appealed even more to me because it focuses so much on knights, castles, and even Robin Hood (confession: Robin Hood is probably my favorite Disney movie ever). Eager has also put in several funny things for adults to catch, too. Another one that I'm eager (yuk yuk) to share with my kids.
Rating: G.
Rating: G.
this book was full of the different concept of changing the past which dramatically alters the future in ways. Give advanced tech to a old and primitive society and well things get really weird. The story shows how careful you have to be when you do something no matter what it is.
This is about 4 different kids than half magic and magic by the lake. The names will sound sort of familiar. You read about them in Magic by the Lake. This time a boy has a toy soilder that takes them in magic adventures with knights, robin hood and Prince John.
May 02, 2009
Magpie Driftwood
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who love juvenile fantasy
I just read this one recently, but when D started reading me "The Castle in the Attic", I couldn't help remarking on the similarities between the plots. However, Edward Eager did it first and (I think we can both agree) better. Four cousins visiting for the summer become involved in a magical adventure centered around and marvelous toy castle and a mysterious old toy soldier. They learn that, despite their differences in age, gender, and interests, they can all learn to get along, and wind up ha...more
When Roger and Ann’s father finds out he is ill, the family must travel with him to Baltimore while he receives medical treatment. Roger and Ann move in with their cousins, Jack and Eliza, and spend their days playing with a knight’s castle and toy soldiers.
Roger’s older toy soldier comes alive and with a bit of magic he sends Roger into an unknown land. The children soon all travel into the world they’ve built with their toys and they must learn to navigate the territory which holds Robin Hood...more
Roger’s older toy soldier comes alive and with a bit of magic he sends Roger into an unknown land. The children soon all travel into the world they’ve built with their toys and they must learn to navigate the territory which holds Robin Hood...more
I wish I had read Ivanhoe first- it would have been more fun if I knew that story first. But it did inspire me to read Ivanhoe. I enjoyed the book, the book club boys had a hard time with the language (they are 2-4 graders).
Another charming tale. I think I would have liked this much, much more if I had been more familiar with Ivanhoe. I enjoyed it slightly less than Half Magic but still recommend it for imaginative kids and their parents.
Edward Eager has done it again. How does he capture so vividly just what it feels like to be a child on a magic adventure? I laughed out loud more than once, and even turned misty-eyed (I'm a crier, I admit it). I can't wait for The Time Garden to arrive in the mail.
A brief children's book reminiscent of The Castle in the Attic, except that this requires a pretty decent understanding of Ivanhoe to make sense. It was quickly paced, funny, and even touching. Recommended.
Kind of a let down after Half Magic, which was just as "magical" as I remember. Paige and I both got a bit lost in this one, which is so heavy intertwined with the plot Ivanhoe that it's hard to follow. Not only have I never read it, but Paige certainly hadn't, either. And the goofy "yoemanly" language was hard for reading out loud.
This is one of the few fantasy authors I enjoy. Though we like Edward Eager's Half Magic much better, Joshua enjoyed this adventure of children going back to the time of Robin Hood and Ivanhoe.
The first time I read this was to my daughter a couple years back. She liked the series a great deal. I would say its definitely written for kids, and appropriate for any age.
I would highly advise reading this book along with Scott's Ivsnhoe. I read this first and then Ivanhoe but I think the opposite order would work as well. Hilarity will ensue.
This book is so much fun! I imagine "Castle in the Attic" was inspired by this story, but this one is hilarious! Part Ivanhoe, part Sword in the Stone, and part Robin Hood- all blended together in one happy story. I love Eager's narrative. He has such a way of putting things. Our family is really enjoying this series!
A fun ride through the magical misadventures of 4 children. Read Sir Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" first though; the events in the book will make a lot more sense that way.
This was my least favorite of the three Edward Eager books we've read. It got a little silly in the middle, but it ended quite nicely. Owen liked it more than I did, and I like the adventures, imagination and lessons that the kids learn, as well as the history and literature connections.
I read all of Edward Eager's books when I was younger, so I decided to read this to the kids for bedtime stories. It was written in the late 50's, so some of the language was challenging for the kids, but I enjoyed explaining it to them. The boys loved the story!
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| Vecchio Book Club: Knight's Castle Discussion | 4 | 6 | Sep 24, 2012 10:09am |
Eager was born in and grew up in Toledo, Ohio and attended Harvard University class of 1935. After graduation, he moved to New York City, where he lived for 14 years before moving to Connecticut. He married Jane Eberly in 1938 and they had a son, Fritz.
Eager was a childhood fan of L. Frank Baum's Oz series, and started writing children's books when he could not find stories he wanted to read to h...more
More about Edward Eager...
Eager was a childhood fan of L. Frank Baum's Oz series, and started writing children's books when he could not find stories he wanted to read to h...more
Jun 24, 2012 07:48pm