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The Knights' Tales Collection: Book 1: Sir Lancelot the Great; Book 2: Sir Givret the Short; Book 3: Sir Gawain the True; Book 4: Sir Balin the Ill-Fated
Many years ago, the storytellers say, the great King Arthur brought justice to England with the help of his gallant Knights of the Round Table.
Sir Lancelot the Great
Of these worthy knights, there was never one so fearless, so chivalrous, so honorable, so…shiny as the dashing Sir Lancelot, who was quite good at defending the helpless and protecting the weak, just as long as he’d had his afternoon nap.
Sir Givret the Short
Poor Givret: his size makes him so easy to overlook. But there’s more to knighthood than height, and before long, Givret’s quick thinking lands him a place at the famous Round Table!
Sir Gawain the True
The knights didn’t always act quite as gallantly as a true knight should. Even King Arthur’s nephew, known at that time as Sir Gawain the Undefeated, was too full of himself to accept a token of thanks from a rescued princess! Someone needed to teach Sir Gawain that courtesy and friendship are just as important as strength and courage.
Sir Balin the Ill-Fated
While most of King Arthur’s knights freely chose a life of duty, for Sir Balin the Ill-Fated, destiny was foretold in a prophecy. Still, no matter how dire the task, a loyal and gallant knight never refuses adventure!
Sir Lancelot the Great
Of these worthy knights, there was never one so fearless, so chivalrous, so honorable, so…shiny as the dashing Sir Lancelot, who was quite good at defending the helpless and protecting the weak, just as long as he’d had his afternoon nap.
Sir Givret the Short
Poor Givret: his size makes him so easy to overlook. But there’s more to knighthood than height, and before long, Givret’s quick thinking lands him a place at the famous Round Table!
Sir Gawain the True
The knights didn’t always act quite as gallantly as a true knight should. Even King Arthur’s nephew, known at that time as Sir Gawain the Undefeated, was too full of himself to accept a token of thanks from a rescued princess! Someone needed to teach Sir Gawain that courtesy and friendship are just as important as strength and courage.
Sir Balin the Ill-Fated
While most of King Arthur’s knights freely chose a life of duty, for Sir Balin the Ill-Fated, destiny was foretold in a prophecy. Still, no matter how dire the task, a loyal and gallant knight never refuses adventure!
5 pages, Audio CD
First published February 12, 2013
134 people want to read
About the author
Gerald Morris
25 books497 followersGerald Morris is an award-winning author, best known for his retellings of Arthurian legends for preteen and teen readers.
His first series, The Squire's Tales, focuses primarily on a squire named Terence, alongside his knight, Sir Gawain. The ten-book series began with The Squire's Tale, first published in 1998.
His second series, The Knights' Tales, is for younger readers and began with The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great, published in 2008, followed by The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short in the same year.
Morris was born in Riverside, California in 1963, the son of Russell A. Morris. He was educated at the Oklahoma Baptist University and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He married Rebecca Hughes, has 3 children, and now lives in Wausau, Wisconsin. He also lived for a short time in Oklahoma. Apart from writing, Morris teaches theology and serves as a pastor for church.
His first series, The Squire's Tales, focuses primarily on a squire named Terence, alongside his knight, Sir Gawain. The ten-book series began with The Squire's Tale, first published in 1998.
His second series, The Knights' Tales, is for younger readers and began with The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great, published in 2008, followed by The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short in the same year.
Morris was born in Riverside, California in 1963, the son of Russell A. Morris. He was educated at the Oklahoma Baptist University and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He married Rebecca Hughes, has 3 children, and now lives in Wausau, Wisconsin. He also lived for a short time in Oklahoma. Apart from writing, Morris teaches theology and serves as a pastor for church.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 9, 2022
Delightful from start to finish!
April 22, 2021
We listened to these on a long road trip. We love them! They're short (about 1.5 hours each), clever, and had us all laughing out loud. They lightly skewer the more absurd aspects of chivalry, while validating some of its nobler underpinnings and emphasizing each knight's unique gifts. For example, in Sir Givret the Short, Sir Givret calls another Knight, Eric, stupid when Eric can seemingly only solve problems by jousting. But later, Sir Givret sees that physical strength is indeed a valuable asset, when used on the right occasion. Very fun! Would make great read alouds.
July 9, 2022
We read these aloud as a family. They are hilarious and heartwarming!
November 13, 2023
A wholesome, but pretty simplified, retelling of Arthurian legends in a middle grade chapter book format. I enjoyed the audiobook.
August 11, 2018
On a recent road trip, we listened to the audiobooks, and thoroughly enjoyed them. I am pretty sure I laughed more than my kids, and found it very entertaining.
November 21, 2015
loved this book set, especially because the audio book is read by a Brit! the accent just made these stories even more fun!
December 9, 2020
I read through the first book of The Squire's Tale's this week and was disappointed. I remember reading through some of them in middle school and really enjoying them. However, I decided to give this audiobook a chance. Mainly because it is getting closer to the end of the year and I am trying to hit my reading goal. I enjoyed these stories much more than the squire's tale book. It may be because listening to the humor is much more enjoyable than reading it myself. Sometimes when I am reading I don't get the subtle humor and to me it comes across as really stupid. However, when I hear the same type of humor I actually get it and find it humorous. I'm weird.
May 14, 2022
Comprised of four books, The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great, the Adventures of Sir Givret the Short, The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True, and The Adventures of Sir Balin the Ill-Fated, the audiobook compilation is among the best narrations I have heard in a long time. These retellings of the King Arthur legends are perfect for the younger audience, and narrator Steve West had me laughing throughout. The clever stories are full of notable characters like Sir Lancelot and King Arthur, which kids will recognize, as well as damsels in distress, dragons, sorcerers, and dwarfs. West makes the most of every word, providing wonderful accents, sarcasm, and humor. (The weeping Queens in the first book had me weeping with laughter). The short stories are excellent, with good morals and lessons to live by, like giving your word and not going back on it, manners, and how to treat friends. Full of very individual characters, West depicted each with varying accents (English, Scottish, French) and depicted the voices of the knights, damsels, and dwarfs so that no two sounded alike. The books are also available as individual stories and include black and white illustrations providing much detail that children will enjoy pouring over. The A.R. level ranges from 4.5 to 5.0 between the books, and would be great for reluctant readers since they are small and thin (and include illustrations) and are not intimidating in the least. The stories are so fun, kids and adults alike will enjoy this collection. Highly recommended.
December 7, 2023
These books are so delightful. There's something effortlessly engaging about the writing style, and its humor manages to reach a wide age-range. They're not absurd, but they also don't take themselves too seriously. Definitely recommended for introducing kids to the legends of King Arthur (they're certainly retellings that diverge from the more rigidly traditional forms, though, so beware if you have strong opinions on this xD).
January 7, 2026
Listened to the audiobook! Well performed and entertaining albeit likely intended for children.
Overall, I think this is a nice anthology to introduce younger readers to the works and authorial voice of Gerald Morris. Tbh, i was looking for his other work on Spotify when came across this collection and figured I’d give it a listen. Glad I did!
Overall, I think this is a nice anthology to introduce younger readers to the works and authorial voice of Gerald Morris. Tbh, i was looking for his other work on Spotify when came across this collection and figured I’d give it a listen. Glad I did!
May 11, 2017
We loved it, loved it. Gerald Morris is very funny and Steve West was an exceptional narrator. I wish there were ten more stories like these.
August 28, 2017
Thornbrook with an excellent narrator. It took me a while to get used to the humorous tone, but it is a nice addition to the king Arthur spectrum.
April 29, 2018
Loved the narrator!
December 6, 2018
Three Knights, three stories of bravery and beating fate.
Rating: G
Love these books!
Rating: G
Love these books!
March 19, 2019
It's a 3 and a half actually, but i really had fun :)
September 17, 2019
funny and entertaining; easy read
February 7, 2020
I needed a quick read while cleaning the house and this book was a delight. Give it a go, you won't regret it.
September 30, 2021
Cute family read aloud that added to our knowledge of lore around King Arthur and knights. More colorful and kid friendly than some tellings.
July 19, 2022
These were a fun read of four different knights. All three of my boys - aged 5, 8 and 10 enjoyed them. They are familiarish stories with some flourishes! Very cute.
January 26, 2025
Quite a silly collection of stories. It was hilarious at moments and nonsensical at others but just the level of humour one might expect a 10-12 year old to enjoy.
January 8, 2014
Easily 5 out of 5 stars, this is one of the most delightful reads of the year. Arthurian tales for ages 8 and up, told with much tongue in cheek humor, and very capably narrated by Steve West. These four tales are laugh-out-loud funny. Steve's voices are perfect. I wanted to immediately start over and listen to them all again. Also available as individual stories, the books could be used as a read along for reluctant readers or adult learners. Not just for children!
Description:
Many years ago, the storytellers say, the great King Arthur brought justice to England with the help of his gallant Knights of the Round Table.
Sir Lancelot the Great
Of these worthy knights, there was never one so fearless, so chivalrous, so honorable, so…shiny as the dashing Sir Lancelot, who was quite good at defending the helpless and protecting the weak, just as long as he’d had his afternoon nap.
Sir Givret the Short
Poor Givret: his size makes him so easy to overlook. But there’s more to knighthood than height, and before long, Givret’s quick thinking lands him a place at the famous Round Table!
Sir Gawain the True
The knights didn’t always act quite as gallantly as a true knight should. Even King Arthur’s nephew, known at that time as Sir Gawain the Undefeated, was too full of himself to accept a token of thanks from a rescued princess! Someone needed to teach Sir Gawain that courtesy and friendship are just as important as strength and courage.
Sir Balin the Ill-Fated
While most of King Arthur’s knights freely chose a life of duty, for Sir Balin the Ill-Fated, destiny was foretold in a prophecy. Still, no matter how dire the task, a loyal and gallant knight never refuses adventure!
Description:
Many years ago, the storytellers say, the great King Arthur brought justice to England with the help of his gallant Knights of the Round Table.
Sir Lancelot the Great
Of these worthy knights, there was never one so fearless, so chivalrous, so honorable, so…shiny as the dashing Sir Lancelot, who was quite good at defending the helpless and protecting the weak, just as long as he’d had his afternoon nap.
Sir Givret the Short
Poor Givret: his size makes him so easy to overlook. But there’s more to knighthood than height, and before long, Givret’s quick thinking lands him a place at the famous Round Table!
Sir Gawain the True
The knights didn’t always act quite as gallantly as a true knight should. Even King Arthur’s nephew, known at that time as Sir Gawain the Undefeated, was too full of himself to accept a token of thanks from a rescued princess! Someone needed to teach Sir Gawain that courtesy and friendship are just as important as strength and courage.
Sir Balin the Ill-Fated
While most of King Arthur’s knights freely chose a life of duty, for Sir Balin the Ill-Fated, destiny was foretold in a prophecy. Still, no matter how dire the task, a loyal and gallant knight never refuses adventure!
December 13, 2016
I loved it! I had no idea what to expect from this book. Looking at the image for the book, I didn't know if it was going to be for grownups or kids. I would have to say both. It has enough to hold a child's interest but it's definitely meant for a grown-up. The narrator is fantastic! He can do any character and sound great. I really liked this story and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys comedy and adventure!
July 10, 2022
Good stories, good story telling, good voice narration, excellent for children. Light, fun, entertaining and with morals. I love how the action and resolutions highlight cleverness more than physical prowess. Only qualm is some slight predictability and after all four books the main heroes felt pretty much like the same character.
April 10, 2014
Really a very well read and totally engaging audiobook, I definitely recommend it for kids and even older people who think they might like funny stories about King Arthur's knights (not to mention some pretty interesting women, though they are sadly fewer).
May 18, 2016
4 1/2 stars. These were SO MUCH FUN! I expected them to be dry, and rather dull. Indeed they are not! So much tongue and cheek humor. The audio books are great. We loved listening to these stories.
November 22, 2013
This is a delightful collection of knights tales, perfect for elementary age children. My boys enjoyed the humor and characters.
February 4, 2014
Amusing stories about Arthurian knights, aimed at upper MG/lower YA boys. Clever subversion of some of the values of the traditional myths, so entertaining to this adult, too.
December 3, 2014
good innocent kids books. probably 7-9 year olds. My older ones are uninterested.
January 3, 2016
This is such a wonderful series for a young reader. there's adventure and wonder, fantasy without too much violence or gore. And a side of modern wit and humor.
April 29, 2016
Not my normal type of book, but laugh out loud experiences of King Arthur's knights in great short stories!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews