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The Little Colonel #2
Two Little Knights of Kentucky
When eight-year-old Keith and his older brother Malcolm encounter a homeless boy, they find a way to express their idealism by righting wrongs in a knightly manner. Published in 1899, this is another book in the ""Little Colonel"" series about a young girl, Lloyd Sherman, and her friends and family, who live in the post-Civil War South.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1899
About the author
Annie Fellows Johnston
124 books12 followersAnnie Fellows Johnston (1863-1931) was an American author of children's fiction who wrote the popular "Little Colonel" series, which was the basis for the 1935 Shirley Temple film The Little Colonel. She was born and grew up in McCutchanville, Indiana, a small unincorporated town near Evansville, Indiana.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 7, 2019
The Good: Quaint episodic moral tale about helping those less fortunate
The Bad: Very dated social issues
The Literary: Casual references to Shakespeare and other literary greats
Brothers Malcolm and Keith have a series of adventures in the post-Civil War South in this second book in the "Little Colonel" series. The Little Colonel herself joins them for a Valentine's party, and to play King Arthur. The brothers present themselves as little Southern aristocrats, desiring above all to live by the code of the knight, and be chivalrous and noble.
I found this used book in a Goodwill , and was immediately charmed it's handsome illustrations and the hand-written inscription, "To Lucy, From, Uncle Russell and Aunt Arra, December 25 1916". Lucy herself is likely no longer with us on this mortal plane, much less Russell and Arra, and I wonder if the book was ever cherished by Lucy, and if the crayon marks on the first illustration were by her own hand.
The story is a rambling episodic moralistic slice of life in a wealthy Southern home. The boys meet two tramps and a bear at the train station while waiting on their aunt and cousin. And by tramps the author means hungry travelers with dirty, ragged clothes, whose toes peep through their shoes, a man and a boy. They are leading a great shaggy bear with an injured paw, trained by humans and raised in captivity. The older tramp plays to the boys' sensitivities, and Malcolm and Keith offer them an empty cabin on their property.
The older tramp stays longer than welcome, and he leaves in the middle of the night when he cannot steal back the bear Malcolm and Keith purchased from him for four dollars, sets the cabin on fire, and leaves the little tramp boy, Jonesy, to be burnt. The adults are loathe to let Malcolm and Keith hang out with the little tramp, lest his trampish ways rub off on them.
So Malcolm and Keith attend a Valentine's party, put on a play, pretend King Arthur and the round table, as well as pretend Indian savages. It's that last bit that starts to rub the modern sensibility. The boys paint themselves up, tear off their clothes, and act like wild beasts, contrasting their previous knightly behavior. In addition, nearly everyone who is not the boys or their immediate family uses a strong dialectic dialogue. You'll feel uncomfortable reading any dialogue of the black slaves, the retired German professor, even the little Colonel herself, who speaks overtly southern and girly.
Recommended as a slice of life of simpler times, but beware aging process. If you let you kids read these today, please have a conversation about class, race, sex, and animal abuse.
readwellreviews.com
The Bad: Very dated social issues
The Literary: Casual references to Shakespeare and other literary greats
Brothers Malcolm and Keith have a series of adventures in the post-Civil War South in this second book in the "Little Colonel" series. The Little Colonel herself joins them for a Valentine's party, and to play King Arthur. The brothers present themselves as little Southern aristocrats, desiring above all to live by the code of the knight, and be chivalrous and noble.
I found this used book in a Goodwill , and was immediately charmed it's handsome illustrations and the hand-written inscription, "To Lucy, From, Uncle Russell and Aunt Arra, December 25 1916". Lucy herself is likely no longer with us on this mortal plane, much less Russell and Arra, and I wonder if the book was ever cherished by Lucy, and if the crayon marks on the first illustration were by her own hand.
The story is a rambling episodic moralistic slice of life in a wealthy Southern home. The boys meet two tramps and a bear at the train station while waiting on their aunt and cousin. And by tramps the author means hungry travelers with dirty, ragged clothes, whose toes peep through their shoes, a man and a boy. They are leading a great shaggy bear with an injured paw, trained by humans and raised in captivity. The older tramp plays to the boys' sensitivities, and Malcolm and Keith offer them an empty cabin on their property.
The older tramp stays longer than welcome, and he leaves in the middle of the night when he cannot steal back the bear Malcolm and Keith purchased from him for four dollars, sets the cabin on fire, and leaves the little tramp boy, Jonesy, to be burnt. The adults are loathe to let Malcolm and Keith hang out with the little tramp, lest his trampish ways rub off on them.
So Malcolm and Keith attend a Valentine's party, put on a play, pretend King Arthur and the round table, as well as pretend Indian savages. It's that last bit that starts to rub the modern sensibility. The boys paint themselves up, tear off their clothes, and act like wild beasts, contrasting their previous knightly behavior. In addition, nearly everyone who is not the boys or their immediate family uses a strong dialectic dialogue. You'll feel uncomfortable reading any dialogue of the black slaves, the retired German professor, even the little Colonel herself, who speaks overtly southern and girly.
Recommended as a slice of life of simpler times, but beware aging process. If you let you kids read these today, please have a conversation about class, race, sex, and animal abuse.
readwellreviews.com
June 5, 2023
In its time, this book was surely loved and cherished.
100+ years later, the racism, classism, and misogyny drip from it.
The writing isn't bad, but not inspired, either.
The little knights are taught to "right the wrong" only for people who look like them.
100+ years later, the racism, classism, and misogyny drip from it.
The writing isn't bad, but not inspired, either.
The little knights are taught to "right the wrong" only for people who look like them.
April 27, 2020
This book was so incredibly cute and a breath of fresh air. I thought nothing wrong of this book.
August 11, 2021
Boys and their adventures…and a bear!
March 23, 2024
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April 6, 2013
A children's book from 1899, "The Two Little Knights of Kentucky" is cute but moralistic. "In This volume the Little Colonel returns to us like an old friend, but with added grace and charm. She is not, however, the central figure of the story, that place being taken by the “two little knights,” Malcolm and Keith, little Southern aristocrats, whose chivalrous natures lead them through a series of interesting adventures." (Summary from an original 1898 advertisement for the book.)
July 25, 2013
This children's book was published in 1899, and is about two brothers in the post-Civil War South. It is somewhat dated, but is an interesting story of the region and the thinking of that time period. After hearing the tales of King Arthur and his knights the two decide to live by the code of a knight: "Live pure, speak truth, right the wrong, follow the king; else wherefore born?" Of course, they aren't always successful in such a noble creed, but they do have quite the adventures.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews