The Trumpeter of Krakow

The Trumpeter of Krakow

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3.67 of 5 stars 3.67  ·  rating details  ·  2,388 ratings  ·  139 reviews
Set in 15th century Poland, The Trumpeter of Krakow is the story of a young boy’s admiration for the bravery of a long-dead youth and how this encourages him to remain loyal to his country, in the face of great danger.

Forced to abandon their farm to the invading Tartars, Joseph Charnetski and his parents flee to Krakow with the only thing that they managed to salvage—a pri...more
Hardcover, 219 pages
Published 1966 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (first published 1928)
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Bhg
Nov 22, 2012 Bhg rated it 1 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: any Polish person you particularly dislike.

Louise Seaman Bechtel introduction begins with condescension and ignorance in her introduction but it suits what follows. If the words Ugly American mean anything to you, let's skip what she actually wrote and describe it thusly.

Kellly claims to love the Poles but if so why mislead Americans about the country's history? The University of Krakow was the first to have a chair in Astronomy - in 1400! See Grazyna Rosinska's article in http://scribd.com/doc/38101197/Universities-Science-in-the-Early

...more
Ensiform
The 1929 Newbery winner, this novel is set in Poland, 1461. Joseph Charnetski, a fifteen-year-old, travels with his family to Krakow after their home and fields in the Ukraine were destroyed. The family befriends a wise scholar and goes to live in the house of an alchemist and his daughter. Joseph becomes a watchman in the Church of Our Lady Mary. In the tower there, he plays on the hour the Heynal, a theme that is traditionally broken off in mid-note out of respect for a brave Polish lad who wa...more
Aimee Conner
Oh, I liked this book, too. It had a young hero I could follow, the plot was just complicated enough, good guys, bad guys, a beautiful girl (who was just a wee bit of a feminist) and a satisfactory ending. Something to get lost in.

It’s a work of fiction leading up to an actual fire that destroyed much of Krakow in 1462. The trumpeters of Krakow, from the title, trumpet the hour with a traditional piece of music, from the spire of a church every hour, on the hour. The melody is unfinished at the...more
Cheryl Gatling
When this book was published in 1928, children loved it so much that library copy after copy was worn to shreds. So says the foreward to this edition. Today's children may have a harder time getting into it, as the language is sometimes dense to the point of being archaic. (The Tartar invaders as described in the first chapter: "Brave they were as lions, courageous they were as great dogs, but they had hearts of stone and knew not mercy, nor pity, nor tenderness, nor God.") But this is an advent...more
Holly
I picked this book up at the library for two reasons-first, it won a Newbery Medal, and second, the story takes place in medieval Poland and knowing next to nothing of Poland I was intrigued.

The story was good. The Charnetski family has taken an oath to protect a crystal that is believed to have magical powers and despite the hardships and evils that befalls upon them because of this jewel they stay true to the promise they have made. The writing style was a little different, maybe a little old...more
Antof9
This is definitely better than the last few Newbery books (1922-1928), and honestly, I really wanted to like it, given my SIL's birthplace (Poland). But I guess the whole alchemy thing took so much away from the story where I was loving the people and the descriptions and pronouncing "Elzbietka" in my head that it made me not like it much. And of course, again I'm thinking of junior highers reading this and going, "HUH?!"

It's so odd to me that there I was, going along reading a story about a fam...more
Mtogo
Loved this book! It's obvious to see why it won a Newbery medal. A fascinating story set in a historical backdrop. I love historical fiction...my favorite genre. After reading it, I now HAVE to do some research on the famous haynal referred to that the trumpeter plays from the church tower! I'm dying to know how the tune goes.
Kathi
I must admit that I am very proud to be 100% Polish-American, and that my daughters are the same.

That fact, plus the very strong characters, inspiring passages, and its 1929 copyright moved a possible four-star rating to five. This is excellent young-adult historical fiction for any era. An action-packed adventure book based on a true story, "The Trumpeter" inspires today with its examples of courage, wisdom, and fidelity to promises made.

When you read the book, be sure it's the edition that beg...more
Newengland
Serviceable Newberry Medal winner from the 40's, THE TRUMPETER OF KRAKOW has a nice opening chapter detailing the origins of a Krakow tradition (the broken note of the trumpeter's Heynal in the tower of the Church of St. Mary), but then meanders through around 30 pp. of exposition before picking up. Once you hit p. 40 or so, you have an excellent standard villain, a half Tartar, half Cossack named Bogdan, and an adventure of a valuable crystal and a mad alchemist. The book provides some Polish h...more
MizziQ
I was instantly captured with this book's intro, and I think if the author had continued with that string of thought (the trumpeter and the broken note) it could have been a wonderful story. But this author instead went another direction, towards magic, romance, diplomats, it was all just too confusing and unneccesary. The epilogue as well was capturing, but that's all I really have to say for the book. It was boring throughout the bulk of the story and the author took too many turns from the or...more
Julie
Hm, did I miss something? What did the honorable trumpeting tradition have to do with the diamond?? I loved the story of the Charnetski family, set in 15th century Poland...the story just took a different turn than I thought it would. I felt like there were two different stories going on that, in the end, didn't come together. I guess the trumpeter, his family, and friends figuratively "blew their trumpet" and saved Krakow in hiding and eventually getting rid of the diamond, something that had l...more
AlixJamie
While reading this, I felt as if the author wrote it in one sitting and then published it without rewriting. There was a certain transparency of plot and the dialog was simple and child-like. There was really no depth to this book and you could pretty much tell what was happening next. My least favorite part was when Joseph and Elizabetka were joking around and made up, on the fly, the plan that would save their lives in the very near future. This isn't really a spoiler because it is so painfull...more
Emily
I was attracted to this book because of the Newbery Medal and the intricate line drawings on the cover. It started promising--historical fiction set in Krakow in the 15th century definitely transported me to a world I knew nothing about. The early descripions of the ancient city were fascinating, and alchemy is presented in a easy-to-understand way. The essence of the story is in that wholesome vein that's similar to THE GOOD MASTER, but in the end, these characters were wooden, the exposition w...more
Kameron
Another book to make me aware of the fact that just because something won a Newberry Award doesn't necessarily mean it is fantastic. I had high hopes for this book after reading about the author and his love for the country of Poland. I did enjoy the historical background, but the story itself was very bland to me. I couldn't fall in love with the characters - they were too one-dimensional. And I really disliked how much of the story was spent on alchemy and the black magic prevalent during this...more
Jill
Another Newbery winner that I lost interest in a third of the way through.

"So it has always been in time of war that the innocent suffer most--these poor, helpless peasants with their carts and horses and geese and sheep trudging along through the dust to escape, if God so willed, the terrible fate which would befall them were they left behind."

"In those days when the world was just emerging from a period of darkness and cruelty, it was a necessity that each man should be constantly upon his gua...more
Katy
A good book to read if you are doing research about medieval Poland- Kelly is meticulous in describing the characters dress and the city's architecture which shows the influence of the many cultures that were crisscrossing Krakow at that point, but if you are looking for an adventure, choose another book. Like so many old books, the characters play but a minimal role; the reader never gets inside their heads and see what makes them tick. The story is driven by facts, not characters. Those who en...more
Debbie Tanner
This Newbery award winner is set in Poland in the 1460's and tells about a family who has been guarding a treasure for the king for more than a generation. They are concerned about their own safety due to an invasion of Kosaks. It is exciting because of all the attempts to get the treasure (for most of the book you don't really know what the treasure is) but it's sort of slow because of all the descriptions of what happens. The language is sort of heavy so I'm not sure that it would appeal very...more
Indiana
This book received the Newberry Award for best children's book in 1928. I received this book as a gift in 1978. I had no interest in it at the time. It was about a boy...ick! But I had a feeling I'd want to read it someday so I've kept it all these years. And finally with a trip to Krakow on the horizon, I felt it was finally time to read it. I'm kind of glad I waited because I really enjoyed it now but would have probably hated it when I was a young girl. Because boys....icky! LOL! Anyway this...more
Jen
There are a few things I really liked about reading this book, one of which has nothing at all to do with the book itself and which really only served to increase my inclination to like the story before I'd even cracked the cover:

1. I've been to Poland 5 times and have been to Krakow on multiple occasions. I love reading books set in a country that has become so familiar to me. (And I love knowing how to pronounce the names of people and places.)
2. It was inspired by a historical event that is s...more
Danielle
I initially picked up this book when I was browsing in the Newberry Medal winner section of our library. I thought it looked interesting because it was set in Poland and I don't know very much about Poland.

The first two chapters really caught my interest, which I think helped me get through the rest of the book. The author's style is clear and concise and portrays a vivid sense of 15th century Polish patriotism as well as some of the coming antagonisms by neighboring countries.
Seth
When I was in 5th grade I aspired to reading every single Newberry Medal winner. I never succeeded, but I'm pretty sure I beat out everyone else in my class. The Trumpeter of Krakow has been on my list for years; I never knew what it was about, but the title was always mysterious and intriguing to me.

Set in 1462 Poland, it follows the story of a boy and his family who are refugees from the Ukraine following destruction of their home by Tartars in search of a rumored treasure kept hidden for gene...more
Mr. Kovach
This is a wonderful story set in Krakow, Poland, and Ukraine. A man's family has been hiding a beautiful and mysterious crystal for safekeeping until they can turn it over to the Polish King. But some really bad guys have designs on the crystal. Can this good family save the crystal and their lives until they safely deliver the crystal? After many twists and turns, the ending is surprising but satisfying. This book is also interesting for it's description of 15th century Krakow.
Nikki
Although I'm not sure it was a better book, overall, than Wanda Gag's Millions of Cats, which was a runner-up for the 1929 Newbery Medal, this is certainly a fine book and gives a good view of Polish culture before World War II. It also has a great Christmas chapter. I'll report further when I reread the whole book.
Becky
The writing was OK, it was just boring at times for me. It was written in the 1920's, so maybe I'm just too used to the action on every page that current YA has. I also didn't get into the characters very much and the alchemy stuff was just not my thing.

The insight into medieval Poland was great, though. I never studied Eastern European history and the book had some interesting details. If you plan on learning more about Polish history, this book would be a nice addition.

Good for 10 years old an...more
Cody
Way before the days of Harry Potter, there was a tale of sorcery, greed, nobility, and loyalty. That tale became a Newbery medal winner in 1929 and I just found it in the library last week! What took me so long?! It doesn't have the slick appeal of our current youngster literature, but it is a lovely little book and one which relies only on the limits of your own imagination as you read it.
Beth
The alchemist translates: "What at first [seems to be] incredible is not necessarily false since truth very often has the appearance of a lie." (footnote page 169) The tradition of the trumpeter informing the community lives on hundreds and hundreds of years. As for the Great Tarnov Crystal, it might still be in the Vistula River. Too much power can destroy even the best intentions.
Janis
I'm not sure I could recommend this to any but the most earnest of children but I did enjoy reading this winner of the 1929 Newbery Award. The story takes place in medieval Krakow, and blends history with the fantastical story of a philosopher's stone and the family dedicated to its care. It's told with just the right amount of tension but perhaps too much detail for the modern reader.
Bob Redmond
I read this book as a kid, and because my wife is of Polish descent, and because our wedding reception was at a Polish cultural center, I thought I'd read it again. I finished it in Havana (which is simultaneously frozen in 1972, 1959, 1875, and 1600), which only added to the pungency of the reading _experience_ if not the book itself.

The book itself: the Newberry-Award winning medalist of 1928, written by a Polish expatriate in New York. It's set in Poland in the 15th century (albeit with a lat...more
Simone
I picked up this book on a whim because I'm going to Krakow soon for the first time, and it was definitely a good read. The story was interesting, and the descriptions of the city were great! I would definitely recommend this book to kids who love to read about medieval history, especially kids who gobble up stories that deal with patriotism and honor.
*Victoria The Last Airbender*
Feb 26, 2013 *Victoria The Last Airbender* rated it 4 of 5 stars
Recommended to *Victoria The Last Airbender* by: Sara
This book wasn't overall interesting for me. I couldn't keep my mind on what was happening.
One thing that was interesting was on page 147 and 148 when Elzbietka was awake when Joseph plays the Heynal and Elzbietka knew that Joseph was playing it wrong and she knew that he was in trouble.
This part was the only part that was interesting.

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Children's Books: March 2010 - The Trumpeter of Krakow (1929 Medal Winner) 25 59 May 02, 2010 07:31am  
The Trumpeter of Krakow (Paperback)
The Trumpeter of Krakow (Mass Market Paperback)
The Trumpeter of Krakow (Mass Market Paperback)
The Trumpeter of Krakow (Hardcover)
The Trumpeter Of Krakow

Eric P. Kelly, a student of Slavic culture for most of his life, wrote The Trumpeter of Krakow while teaching and studying at the University of Krakow. During five years spent in Poland he traveled with an American relief unit among the Poles who were driven out of the Ukraine in 1920, directed a supply train at the time of the war with the Soviets, and studied and visited many places in the count...more
More about Eric P. Kelly...
A Girl Who Would Be Queen: The Story and the Diary of the Young Countess Krasinska The Golden Star of Halich: A Tale of the Red Land in 1362 At the Sign of the Golden Compass - A Tale of the Printing House of Christopher Plantin in Antwerp, 1576 The Land and People of Poland (Portraits of the Nations Series)

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