Robin Hood in the Greenwood

by Jane Louise Curry, Julie Downing (Illustrator)

A series of Robin Hood adventures includes the tales of Friar Tuck's induction into the Merry Men, Lady Marian's escape from the Sheriff of Nottingham to the safety of Sherwood Forest, and Robin's competition in an archery match.

48 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Jane Louise Curry was born in East Liverpool, Ohio, on September 24, 1932. She is the daughter of William Jack Curry Jr. and Helen Margaret Curry. Curry grew up in Pennsylvania (Kittanning and Johnstown), but upon her graduation from college she moved to Los Angeles, California, and London, England.

Curry attended the Pennsylvania State University in 1950, and she studied there until 1951 when she left for the Indiana State College (now known as Indiana University of Pennsylvania). In 1954, after graduation, Curry moved to California and worked as both an art teacher for the Los Angeles Public School District and a freelance artist. In 1957, Curry entered the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) in order to study English literature, but in 1959 she left Los Angeles and became a teaching assistant at Stanford University. Curry was awarded the Fulbright grant in 1961 and the Stanford-Leverhulme fellowship in 1965, allowing her to pursue her graduate studies at the University of London. She earned her M.A. in 1962 and her Ph.D. in medieval English literature from Stanford University in 1969. From 1967-1968 and, again, from 1983-1984, Curry was an instructor of English literature at the college level. She became a lecturer in 1987. Besides her writings, Curry’s artworks are also considered among her achievements. She has had several paintings exhibited in London, and her works have even earned her a spot in the prestigious Royal Society of British Artists group exhibition. Among the many groups that Curry belongs to are the International Arthurian Society, the Authors Guild, the Children’s Literature Association, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers.

Curry illustrated and published her first book Down from the Lonely Mountain in 1965. This juvenile fiction based on Californian Native American folklore has paved the way for Curry’s expansive literary career. She has penned more than 30 novels, which are mostly based on child characters dealing with a wide variety of subjects. Many of Curry’s writings deal with folklore, such as the Native American folklore that she explores in her novels Turtle Island: Tales of Algonquian Nations and The Wonderful Sky Boat: And Other Native American Tales of the Southeast, and the retellings of famous European folk stories, such as Robin Hood and his Merry Men, Robin Hood in the Greenwood, and The Christmas Knight. Yet she also delves into the genres of fantasy, such as in her novels Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Time and Me, Myself, and I; historical fiction, such as in her novels What the Dickens and Stolen Life; and mystery, such as in her novels The Bassumtyte Treasure and Moon Window.

Curry has been honored with many awards throughout her writing career. In 1970, her novel The Daybreakers earned Curry the Honor Book award from the Book World Spring Children’s Book Festival and the Outstanding Book by a Southern California Author Award from the Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People. The Mystery Writers of America honored Curry two years in a row by awarding her the Edgar Allan Poe Award, or the Edgar, for Poor Tom’s Ghost in 1978 and The Bassumtyte Treasure in 1979. Also in 1979, for her complete body of work at that time, the Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People presented Curry with the Distingushed Contribution to the Field of Children’s Literature Award.

Curry resides in Palo Alto, California, and London, England.

Reviews

[R. G. Nairam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm going through an old list of Robin Hood books I read, and oh gosh do I remember this one. Well, not really except that 12yo me had a very low opinion of it that has managed to make its way through a decade and still hit me when I saw the cover. Maybe someday I'll give it another chance, but surprisingly 12-14yo me has had pretty good opinions when I've re-read other things.

[Ivey; Ives · Rating 5 out of 5]

For being a very short version of Robin's Hood's story, I was very impressed by how much this book, and its first part (Robin Hood and His Merry Men) pack in. In some parts, it even benefits from that, because stating Robin's values so frankly feels like the natural choice.

Marian features very heavily, which I was thrilled about-- I love her, I'm always very sad when authors cut her out. My favorite classic Robin Hood scene featuring her is here, where she and Robin fight in disguise and she wins, and it’s as hilarious and adorable as ever.

This book has one of my favorite happy endings to Robin Hood ever, usually I only excuse the story cutting off before his death in movies.
At first it scared me into thinking it would be another “and then he joined the king” version, but an ending more true to Robin’s ideals swooped in and made me so happy. We’re told of a Robin who cannot bear to work under a king who does not listen to his pleas for the poor and workers, so he double crosses him to run away and continue his medieval activism and praxis.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about Robin Hood adventures and his life in Greenwood. How he practices his skills, where he gets his food, how he help people are in need. Interesting life of Robin Hood.