131st out of 301 books
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1,970 voters
Knightley Academy (Knightley Academy #1)
by
Violet Haberdasher (Goodreads Author)
Henry Grim is a servant boy at the Midsummer School—until he passes the elite Knightley Academy exam and suddenly finds himself one of the first commoners at the Academy, studying alongside the cleverest and bravest—and most arrogant—young aristocrats in the country. They thwart Henry’s efforts to become a full-fledged Knight of the Realm, but he and two commoner classmate...more
Hardcover, 468 pages
Published
March 9th 2010
by Aladdin
(first published February 14th 2010)
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I really liked this tale of mystery and adventure set in an alternate-history Victorian England, just before 1900. It's Harry Potter-like in the best ways. There's an appealing orphan boy (named Henry Grim) who unexpectedly finds himself accepted into an elite school; on the train he meets a couple of likable boys who become his friends; and at the school he encounters bullies and hostility, plus an unpleasant, Snape-like professor.
But author Violet Haberdasher (a pseudonym for Robyn Schneider,...more
But author Violet Haberdasher (a pseudonym for Robyn Schneider,...more
I very rarely delve into YA or children's literature, it's just not my thing - I love literary fiction to the extent I sometimes even shy away from strong genre centric novels. However, having seen the author around YouTube, and thinking that she seemed absolutely delightful, I decided to give it a read.
I thought this book was wonderful. Of course, I'm judging it for what it is, I'm not comparing it to the works David Foster Wallace; it's in the 8-12 year old range at book-stores, but I was imm...more
I thought this book was wonderful. Of course, I'm judging it for what it is, I'm not comparing it to the works David Foster Wallace; it's in the 8-12 year old range at book-stores, but I was imm...more
Set in an all boys school in a turn of the 20th century England similar but not identical to our world’s history, Henry Grim is the servant boy at an elite boy’s middle school. Despite his common upbringing, Henry has a thirst for knowledge that is fed by one of the professors on staff. Henry is finally given the chance when, for the first time in history, he is allowed to sit the Knightley Academy entrance exam despite the fact he is a commoner. Henry, along with two other common boys, are acce...more
Henry Grim, 14, was a servant at the exclusive Midsummer School up until recently. When one of the Midsummer professors caught him borrowing textbooks, he decided to tutor him instead of reporting him to school administrators for theft. Henry Grim then became one of the most promising students Midsummer School never had the privilege of teaching! Encouraged by his tutor to take the entrance exams for Knightley Academy, Henry became the first commoner ever to be accepted as a student. His accepta...more
The first thing that grabbed me about 'Knightley Academy' was the title. It's just a great title. Along with that, the cover is nicely put together and should attract attention. It caught mine pretty much instantly. While the page count looks a bit hefty, don't worry. The text is large and the story moves along in such a way you won't notice anything but the story.
Read the rest of the review here: http://brookesboxofbooks.blogspot.com...
Read the rest of the review here: http://brookesboxofbooks.blogspot.com...
This is a hard one to review because so many of the reviews are very eager to do all the Harry Potter comparisons (not without good reason), but that doesn't entirely do the book justice. So I guess I'll get the Harry Potter stuff out of the way first and quickly. This book totally has a Draco Malfroy as well as a Snape. It also has a trio of friends that go on their adventures.
Okay, so what this book really is is an interesting alternate history story where all of Britain is at peace with itse...more
Okay, so what this book really is is an interesting alternate history story where all of Britain is at peace with itse...more
Bookworms, I’ll tell you upfront: I’m going to have a lot of trouble reviewing KNIGHTLEY ACADEMY for you. I’m not sure how to describe the magical way the story snuck beneath my skin and consumed me. I feel like if I describe it one way, I’ll pigeon-hole it and you’ll think it’s a book that it isn’t. Even though it’s similar to other works in some ways, it’s also unlike anything I’ve read, in a class of its own. Unputdownable. A perfect blend of reality and fantasy for children, teens, and adult...more
[from the my blog, Creativity's Corner] When I first saw this book on someone else's blog, I didn't know what to think. The post was a guest post from the author, explaining what "Harry Potter Inspired Novel" meant as the term had been used in describing the book. Basically, she explained, Knightley Academy was what came from having practically grown up reading Harry Potter, and desperately wanting something similar to read next. No wands, no magic, none of that stuff, but still Harry Potter ins...more
I'm not usually one to read young adult fiction (it's just not my demographic) but this was definitely a great exception. I'm also a little disappointed with the reviews on Amazon that claim this is a Harry Potter knock-off... sure it's about an orphaned young boy who goes to a school for things one doesn't normally go to school for, but that's where the similarity ends, and if that's enough to make it a knock-off, they're both knock-offs of Oliver Twist anyway.
Regardless, this is a quality book...more
Regardless, this is a quality book...more
When a loophole in the rules allows Henry Grim, an orphaned serving boy at Midsummer School, to take the entrance exam for Knightley Academy, he jumps at the chance to better his lot. He is admitted as a sort of social experiment; traditionally the Academy was limited to the aristocracy, but some trustees feel that the turn of the century will bring changes in social structure as well as technology. At the Academy, Henry is paired with two other misfits (one Jewish, one East Indian) and befriend...more
Knightley Academy is a fictional fantasy, but the setting is England 1800s, just without exact names. Storyline: Servant boy gets accepted into Knightley Academy . . . and . . . politics happen . . . . and . . . not much else . . . Oh, nuts, now that you know the servant kid gets accepted into Knightley Academy you'll be bored the first four chapters! On the good side of the book, it's very clean and there are one or two good moments. However I was expecting more "dry wit" (Tamora Pierce review...more
The world is changing: the separation between the classes is the center around which various camps fight. And Henry Grim, a poor orphan, suddenly finds himself in the middle of it as he is accepted to the elite Knightley Academy. In a very Harry Potter-esque story, Haberdasher sets Grim up as the noble underdog destined to save the world.
I had heard the book channeled the ghost of Harry Potter and the similarities to HP are running amok in the novel. The characters, the events, the plot line, th...more
I had heard the book channeled the ghost of Harry Potter and the similarities to HP are running amok in the novel. The characters, the events, the plot line, th...more
I read this book because I knew the author from her excellent Youtube videos. She struck me as a funny and immediately likable person, so I felt I owed to her to give her book a chance. Needless to say, this is not (it turns out) a good way to find decent literature, but I did not regret reading this.
In a lot of respects, Knightley Academy is an excellent book, having a followable and very interesting plot, likable characters, a fun and breezy writing style, and ultimately just being a very enjo...more
In a lot of respects, Knightley Academy is an excellent book, having a followable and very interesting plot, likable characters, a fun and breezy writing style, and ultimately just being a very enjo...more
Alrighty. So generally, after reading a book by an author I'm unfamiliar with, I jump online and have a look-see. This is when astounding things like sequels, come to my attention, or in this case... that an author isn't a real person but a pseudonym.
Here I was, thinking Knightley Academy was a debut authors first novel. And I suppose, in a way it is, since Violet Haberdasher only started to exist when this book went to print.
Weird right?
I mean outside of Lemony Snicket how many Middle School au...more
Here I was, thinking Knightley Academy was a debut authors first novel. And I suppose, in a way it is, since Violet Haberdasher only started to exist when this book went to print.
Weird right?
I mean outside of Lemony Snicket how many Middle School au...more
This book was beautifully written. from believable characters that you can regognise with, to a wonerous world of Knights and 'Codes of Chivialry'. All the things that made an era wonderful are brought into this book.
***SPOILERS AHEAD!!!***
Ms. Haberdasher wrote about a character named Henry Grim, who worked as a servant in the kitchens of the Midsummers Night school, being secretly tutored by Professor Stratford. When the knights fom Knightly Academy come to the school to let 'any residence' tak...more
***SPOILERS AHEAD!!!***
Ms. Haberdasher wrote about a character named Henry Grim, who worked as a servant in the kitchens of the Midsummers Night school, being secretly tutored by Professor Stratford. When the knights fom Knightly Academy come to the school to let 'any residence' tak...more
I have to make this quick. Oh, my, god. This book is amazing! It is so addictive. I just kept wanting to turn page after page, just like The Lincoln Lawyer. The characters are well developed and fantastic, especially Frankie. :) I loved the plot and the themes it holds. "Violet Haberdasher" is a brilliant writer who knows how to captivate an audience. Can't wait for Secret Prince!
By Violet Haberdasher. Grade: C. Knightley Academy #1
Henry Grim is a servant boy at the Midsummer School—until he passes the elite Knightley Academy exam and suddenly finds himself one of the first commoners at the Academy, studying alongside the cleverest and bravest—and most arrogant—young aristocrats in the country. They thwart Henry’s efforts to become a full-fledged Knight of the Realm, but he and two commoner classmates are determined to succeed. In the process, the boys uncover a conspira...more
Henry Grim is a servant boy at the Midsummer School—until he passes the elite Knightley Academy exam and suddenly finds himself one of the first commoners at the Academy, studying alongside the cleverest and bravest—and most arrogant—young aristocrats in the country. They thwart Henry’s efforts to become a full-fledged Knight of the Realm, but he and two commoner classmates are determined to succeed. In the process, the boys uncover a conspira...more
As I was cleaning up the newshelf at our library my eye was caught by this little gem. This story is about a servant/orphan boy named Henry Grim who works at a posh school for boys called Midsummer School. Here he is secretly tutored in numerous languages, culture and history by Professor Stratford. Henry is encouraged by him to sit the Kightley Academy exam (a school for future Knights) in which no commoner has ever done before. With flying colors he passes the exam and is brought to Knightly A...more
ATOS Book Level: 5.6
Interest Level: Middle Grades Plus (MG+ 6 and up)
AR Points: 12.0
Lexile: 860L
Word Count: 78949
A book for boy's who like knights and fighting for what's right.
I need to start out by saying that I liked this story.
I need to start out that way because I don't understand books like this written into a here and now (or then and now because it's not set in the current time period), or is it really a post apocalyptic book and pretty much all modern conveniences have been lost or for...more
Interest Level: Middle Grades Plus (MG+ 6 and up)
AR Points: 12.0
Lexile: 860L
Word Count: 78949
A book for boy's who like knights and fighting for what's right.
I need to start out by saying that I liked this story.
I need to start out that way because I don't understand books like this written into a here and now (or then and now because it's not set in the current time period), or is it really a post apocalyptic book and pretty much all modern conveniences have been lost or for...more
All hail Violet Haberdasher! Seriously guys, this book is freaking amazing. I loved loved loved it. Even though I was obsessed before I began, I still would have given this book 5 stars!
The writing is flawless and beautiful. You can see everything so clearly without the book going into too much detail. The dialogue between the characters is so realistic and sometimes laugh out funny that it appears that you are talking to the characters yourself.
The characters themselves are so likeable and fun...more
The writing is flawless and beautiful. You can see everything so clearly without the book going into too much detail. The dialogue between the characters is so realistic and sometimes laugh out funny that it appears that you are talking to the characters yourself.
The characters themselves are so likeable and fun...more
This book was fairly good; it's about a servant named Henry who gets to go to Knightley Academy- the catch is that he and his two friends are the first commoner students to ever be admitted there! Someone seems to be sabotaging their chances to be knights, like on the back cover, and the three friends are also trying to figure that out. The book is funny, the idea is good, and it isn't boring, but I noticed a lot of things about this book that seemed connected to Harry Potter- the whole school t...more
Actually, just met this author at the Book Expo in NYC, and when she told me it was about a servant boy who gets into a special school where they teach fencing and languages and diplomacy (and when I learned that Diana Wynne Jones was also one of her favorite authors) I was hooked. It's the first of a trilogy, set in an alternate Victorian England, and beside the smart servant boy, there are 2 other commoners who manage to get into the elite school, and the headmaster's headstrong daughter, all...more
I truly feel sorry for any author nowadays who wants to place a young character at any kind of school or camp where they learn special powers because they are often accused of copying J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. However, this book IS a copy. The main character's name is Henry, he's an orphan, he passes a test to attend this prestigious knight school (one of the chapters is "The Boy Who Passed"...just like "The Boy Who Lived" in Harry Potter), he has 2 buddies at school, one a stickler for rules...more
Feb 27, 2012
Emmet O'Neal Library- Children's Department
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
2012,
realistic-fiction
Chivalry is not dead! It is alive and well in the Kightley Academy. As a war looms in the Nordland, our hero a servant boy named Henry Grim, is admitted to this exclusive and prestigious school. I liked this story because it reminded me of the Harry Potter series minus the magic. The book offers humor, fast-paced adventure, and great friendships as Henry and his friends fight against the unknown saboteurs who are attempting to get them thrown out of school because of their race and birth as comm...more
Mar 17, 2012
Azorianfireflyz
added it
I'm having a hard time getting through this book. The main character is likeable, but the more I read into the book, the more it is turning into "just another wanna-be Harry Potter." The first class with Lord Havelock is so painfully similar to the scene in Harry Potter where the hero first attends a potions lesson with Professor Snape.
Knightley Academy - p. 134
"I don't know, sir," Henry said, as Lord Havelock had instructed. "I am unprepared, sir."
"Pity," Lord Havelock said. "And I had harbore...more
Knightley Academy - p. 134
"I don't know, sir," Henry said, as Lord Havelock had instructed. "I am unprepared, sir."
"Pity," Lord Havelock said. "And I had harbore...more
Aug 14, 2012
Elevetha Houre
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Pretty much anyone
Recommended to Elevetha by:
Miss Clark
3 1\2 stars. Wonderful writing. Charming. Henry Grim, a commoner, is accepted (by a twist of a tutor who taught him even though that was against the rules of the school) into the prestigious Knightley Academy. The fate of all other commoners who might have a chance to have a decent education and the beginning of a war hang in the balance between Henry, good grades, and the Nordlands. Saboteurs are attempting to get Henry killed. Or worse, expelled. Loved Frankie and Henry as characters. They wer...more
I really enjoyed this book.
I picked it up because it was recommended to Harry Potter lovers, but I actually don't think that it has that much in common with Harry Potter.
Yes, the lead character is named Henry, who is an orphan and who has had a rather difficult life so far, and the setting is a boarding school, but that is as far as it goes. There is no magic, no personal vendettas, just school yard bullying, lessons, mean and nice teachers, pranks and rule-breaking which is common in all boardi...more
I picked it up because it was recommended to Harry Potter lovers, but I actually don't think that it has that much in common with Harry Potter.
Yes, the lead character is named Henry, who is an orphan and who has had a rather difficult life so far, and the setting is a boarding school, but that is as far as it goes. There is no magic, no personal vendettas, just school yard bullying, lessons, mean and nice teachers, pranks and rule-breaking which is common in all boardi...more
I don't really understand why this has so many good reviews. I mean, sure, I was able to pass the time with it, but come on, it is a shameless Harry Potter rip-off almost to the point of copyright infringement. The characters and plot are all copies. The author did the work of writing it all out, but the only imaginative work done here is working out how to try and decently disguise the HP elements. I think it's mean-spirited when people suggest no authors should be allowed to do fun things with...more
Apr 08, 2010
Laurie(Time Stand Still)
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Laurie(Time Stand Still) by:
Author Chat
I loved this book so much that I bought a second copy and gave it to my son's principal (she likes similar middle grade books) for her to read and then donate to the school library. I felt this book had a lot of good moral undertone to a very well written plot. I am also excited to read more in this series. I really like the fact that Robyne did not use her real name so these younger readers would not search on her name and find her other books that would not be suited for middle grade readers....more
Guess what another orphan story. Is this all I read?
Orphan sits for the exam for a prestigious academy and gets in, along with 2 other "commoners". People try to sabotage them. Had a Harry Potter feel (the friendship of the outcasts, the boarding school, the sabotage, and the untrustworthy teachers) with no magic whatsoever. There is a great girl character (the daughter of the headmaster) who really made the book for me. Challenges racial, class, and gender stereotypes but does have a negative...more
Orphan sits for the exam for a prestigious academy and gets in, along with 2 other "commoners". People try to sabotage them. Had a Harry Potter feel (the friendship of the outcasts, the boarding school, the sabotage, and the untrustworthy teachers) with no magic whatsoever. There is a great girl character (the daughter of the headmaster) who really made the book for me. Challenges racial, class, and gender stereotypes but does have a negative...more
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Author of "Knightley Academy" and 'The Secret Prince" (Knightley Academy #2). Pseudonym of Videoblogger Robyn Schneider.
More about Violet Haberdasher...
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“And as if the professor could read Henry's mind he said, "It's a curious thing, change. You never get used to it and you're never sure where it comes from, but you better learn to expect it."
"I don't recognize the quotation." Henry frowned trying to place it.
"That's because it isn't one. It is simply advice, and advice you'd be well advised to take especially now.”
—
3 people liked it
More quotes…
"I don't recognize the quotation." Henry frowned trying to place it.
"That's because it isn't one. It is simply advice, and advice you'd be well advised to take especially now.”

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