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ceeceejay's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book aloud to my daughter in the hope that I'd be able to capture some of the magic it made me believe in when I read it as a child. It's extremely well written. Eager is a master storyteller. It's hopelessly out of date, though, and that would make it difficult to recommend to a young reader. While they'd get swept away in the stories within the story, it's hard to not imagine having to explain some of the slang and some of the mannerisms of the characters to readers. It's even harder imagining readers empathizing with the characters in their normal settings. It isn't until they're caught up in the magic that you can suspend disbelief enough to enjoy the story.
ilovedogs123's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
storytimed's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure why this was on my list? Standard whimsical children's book. Didn't stand out very much, though I did like that the little sister, Ann, was just as equal of a protagonist, and the Ivanhoe parallels were quite fun.
kwichris's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
katepowellshine's review against another edition
4.0
Every so often I revisit childhood favorites. This one never disappoints (though it was already dated when I was young, and it does include a cringe-inducing reference to "darkest Africa").
nelsonmaam's review against another edition
1.0
This wasn't read a lot but that we didn't finish because it was just not engaging for anyone listening or reading. We got about halfway through before we decided to let it go. Too much historical and not enough fiction. The characters and storyline were far too complicated for the audience it was trying to appeal to. We're going to try the third book anyway since the characters are the same as the first book.
ladyladyloveme's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
brighthappyness's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly it's kind of sweet how much Roger loves Ann :')
bookstuff's review against another edition
5.0
Read this to 8yo at bedtime one chapter at a time and we both loved it! It was great to discover a new favorite together -- I had to restrain myself from reading ahead.
(Interesting to see the Cold War influence in the story, but it flew right over the 8yo's head.)
We are starting on Half Magic now.
(Interesting to see the Cold War influence in the story, but it flew right over the 8yo's head.)
We are starting on Half Magic now.
eupomene's review against another edition
5.0
Sequel to the classic Half Magic and just as magical - and maybe even more fun. Roger and Ann are the children of little Martha from the first book, and they are as wonderfully bookish and adventurous as their forebears. Knight's Castle has the added excitement of seeing what your own toys may be like when you are just the right size to belong in them - and the consequences of unbridled imagination. Watching classic stories like Ivanhoe and Robin Hood morph into something completely different because someone made toy knights play baseball during the day, well, it's just one of those tales you always wish would happen to you (just watch out for your dollhouse).