What Are Castles and Knights?

What was...?

by Sarah Fabiny, Who HQ, Dede Putra (Illustrator)

Go back to the thrilling time of warring knights who were prepared to give their life in order to protect their lord and his castle.

Castles may conjure up a romantic fairy tale world; however, in real life, during the Middle Ages, castles were fortresses, providing shelter and protection for the lord as well as for the peasants who lived on his land. For an army, a lord depended on young soldiers in armor called knights who spent years at the castle learning the skills of warfare.

Author Sarah Fabiny dives into the history of castles and how they grew from simple wood structures to mighty fortresses in stone. She also explains who could become a knight and what their lives were like off of the battlefield, enjoying feasts, courting their lady loves, and showing off in tournaments.

With 80 fun black-and-white illustrations and an engaging 16-page photo insert, readers will be excited to read this latest addition to Who HQ!

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Childrens, Juvenile

112 pages, Paperback

Published February 8, 2022

Reviews

[Anna Cavallo]

Fabulous introduction to the beginning of European countries. How did they begin? How were they run?
I’d read this instead of the dry garbage that was used in the 1970’s.

[Laura]

It hits all the things: why we have castles (trebuchets), why we don't anymore (guns), and a very high overview of different versions (wood and mud, then stone with double walls) and an idea of feudalism. It even mentions samurai for a minute.
I learned...
Castles go way way back. They didn't all have fireplaces because we hadn't invented those yet. They were really just for defense, not comfortable living: they didn't have insulation (hence tapestries) or a floor (just threw down some hay).
Knights phased out when it was easier to just hire soldiers on an as needed basis.
Joan of Arc wasn't the first woman to lead an army. There were at least two famous ones before her.

[Rob]

Penguin's WhoHQ books pop up at the Scholastic Book Fairs that visit the school where I work, and I am always pleased when students I work with pick them up. This autumn, What Are Castles and Knights? was available, so I gave it a read. It was a fast, enjoyable read. It talked about battles and warfare and death in a way that was appropriate for young readers; even its short blurb about courtly love was safe. I suppose my only criticisms are that castle construction was overlooked and that the book introduces readers to the Middle Ages as predating nations, but later talks about countries with no transition into what occurred between. Like, how did the knights and the feudal lords living in the castles shape the rise of those nations? All in all, it was an okay read.

[Leigh]

My students love this series, and this one offers a lot of information about knights more so than castles. It is packed with a lot of facts, and I actually learned a lot about knighthood. Any student interested in medieval times will want to read this book. It was especially of interest as I have visited several of the castles that are mentioned in the book!

[Natalie]

Fabulous introduction to the beginning of European countries. How did they begin? How were they run? Etc
I wish I’d read this as a young teen instead of the dry garbage that was used in the 1970’s.

[K Morlando]

Informative children's book, we enjoyed learning about this

[Dana Robinson]

Entertaining for kids, but I question some of the historical accuracy of this book.

[Alex]

I always learn something new from these books, even when the subject matter seems obvious!

[Yvonne]

Interesting history of castles and knights. I found it a bit wanting and very Britain focused. Not a bad high level overview for kids to get the idea about this part of life in the middle ages.

[Elexndra]

Library borrow

[Susan Lynne]

Excellent history of middle ages and the culture and traditions of Europe. Great for kids in 2nd-5th grade.

[Emma]

3.5 stars
Most of this is review because I know it from my historical romance novels.

[Paul Thomas]

It was an alright book, it was pretty boring because I’m not the biggest fan of castles and knights but wanted to try it.

[Antonela LoRusso]

This was very interesting! Great for writing research. It really made me feel like I was in a Medieval castle.

[Charlotte O'Leary]

A bit more boring than others

[Rachel]

It doesn't matter the subject, I always learn something from the books in this series!