The Knight’s Armor by Paul Gamble, 362 pages. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2018. $17.
Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: G.
BUYING ADVISORY: EL – OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Jack and Trudy are in week 3 of their stint with the Ministry of S.U.I.T.s (Strange, Unusual and Impossible Things). Once again their school is buzzing with unusual activity. This time it’s Merlin and his film crew. Jack knows it’s a ploy for something sinister. To save the United Kingdom he must battle automaton knights and vacuum cleaners, a bottomless pit, motion
detecting spears, and avoid Mr. M’s muesli bars.
This book takes zany to the ultimate extreme. It’s full of one exaggerated, sarcastic comment after another. The author tries to add an element of reality by explaining all the impossibilities with real science. It’s all part of the absurdity. Over-the–top for my liking, but since humor is drawing a large fan base in middle grade reading selections, it’s worth looking at. Includes more humor in the footnote commentary and “pages” from the Ministry manual. These can be ignored without compromising the story to shorten the length.
Valerie McEnroe, Media Specialist
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