No Sword Fighting in the House

by Susanna Leonard Hill

[Holiday House Reader Level 2]

Mom puts an end to Arthur and Lance sword fighting in the house, so they joust on cows in the backyard--and flatten their mother's daffodils just before the big daffodil contest!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Susanna is the New York Times Bestselling Author of MOON'S FIRST FRIENDS: ONE GIANT LEAP FOR FRIENDSHIP, and the award-winning author of over 25 more books for children, including PUNXSUTAWNEY PHYLLIS, CAN'T SLEEP WITHOUT SHEEP, and the popular WHEN YOUR LION NEEDS A BATH series. Her books have been translated into French, Dutch, German, Turkish, Japanese, and Chinese. Susanna lives in New York's Mid-Hudson Valley with her children and her two rescue dogs. She loves chocolate, animals, and being outdoors.Please visit her website at www.susannahill.com and "Like" Susanna Leonard Hill on Face Book!

Reviews

[Donna]

NO SWORD FIGHTING IN THE HOUSE No kidding--this is one of the best Easy Reader books I've ever read! It is entertaining from beginning to end---just loaded with humor :) In "Camelot," Arthur and Lance wait 'til their mother leaves the house before doing exactly what she said they couldn't do: sword fighting.

After getting caught, they try working their way around the problem, not wanting to disobey their mother yet continuing to play in the way they want. Mishap after mishap, when Arthur and Lance don't seem to understand their mom's "points," they ultimately end up having a closer encounter with fertilizer than they'd bargained for.

Young or old, this is a "must read" if you want a quick pick-me-up, for sure :)

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's clearly meant to be sort of a King Arthur children's book - like King Arthur as a prince? Even though that doesn't make sense. The kids are brothers Arthur and Lance (like Lancelot), and they play with the neighbor girl, Gwen (Guinevere).
The father leaves, saying, "I'll be at the castle. Every day is a busy day for the king."

I wish the pictures followed this theme. Instead they are portrayed as a regular, modern family, so the dad's line about going to the castle and being a king are completely out of place with the rest of the book. Just a nod to those who understand the Arthur references, but even so we're left confused as to why the Arthur theme only loosely hanging over a story that has nothing else to do with kingdoms or castles.

The boys are told not to sword fight in the house, so they joust outside on cows that smash their mom's prized daisies before they can be judged for the flower contest.

A mediocre book that could have been more interesting and humorous if it leaned into the medieval theme.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute story with lots of humour in it. After making a mess in the house, two young brothers are told by their mom to not sword fight in the house. Obeying that rule they decide to joust in the backyard. Their mom is expecting the judges of the tulip growing competition to arrive soon, but the boys make a mess of her garden by accident.
Susanna Hill writes with humour, adding great conversations between the family members. This is an enjoyable short chapter book.

[Angela Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lance and Arthur get themselves into trouble when their mother leaves to get her hair done for a contest that she is trying to win with her daffodils. First, the boys decided to sword fight inside the house making a mess. When mom returns home, she scolds them and tells them no more sword fighting in the house. So, the boys decided to joust outside using the neighbor’s cows. To their surprise, the cows had trampled their mom’s daffodils. As the judges arrived and done some discussing, they decided to give to awards: one for the best daffodils and one for “needs the most improvement”. This would be a good book for students that are transferring between picture-books and chapter books.

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up No Sword Fighting in the House by Susanna Leonard Hall. I like that the book had three chapters and it would be good for first or second graders interested in fantasy who are building the confidence to take on “big” chapter books. There is no torture like having to help a child read insipid stories in the name of literacy and this book would be delightful for parents and children alike. The controlled vocabulary and simple sentence structure would be great for a struggling reader and the story is engaging enough to keep children motivated.

[Terry]

Our daughter laughed with anticipation at every page. There were plenty of "Uh-ohs" and giggles with two boys riding cows. When she decided we weren't reading fast enough, she took over reading herself.

Every parent can relate to this story!.

[Tessa Sells · Rating 5 out of 5]

i like the part where the judges come and give the fertilizer and the boys have to spread it. It reminds me of gardening :)