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The Delaroche Family #1
Cedric, the Forester
Cedric, son of a thirteenth-century forester, saves Sir Richard's son and is made his squire. Taught to read and fight, Cedric becomes the best crossbowman in England, and at the Battle of Eagles, is knighted.
294 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1921
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September 13, 2019
Published in 1921, and chosen as a Newbery Honor Book in 1922, the first year that the Newbery Medal was awarded, Cedric the Forester is long out-of-print, and exceedingly difficult to come by. With not a copy for sale on-line, nor in my county's library system, I had to use the Inter-Library Loan program to request one, and it eventually came from Rochester - more than 300 miles away! Thank goodness for ILL, and for librarians!
Narrated by Sir Dickon (Richard) Mountjoy - a twelfth-century Norman nobleman whose family lands lie in the Western Marches of England - it details his lifelong friendship with the Saxon yeoman, Cedric of Pelham Wood, and their many exciting adventures together. Opening when Sir Dickon is fifteen, and his father is departing to serve the king (Henry II) in his campaign in Scotland, the narrative plunges headlong into fast-paced adventure - never slackening until the conclusion of the novel.
With Castle Mountjoy besieged by an old enemy in the very first chapter, and a surprising "ghostly" visitation in the second, the eponymous Cedric only enters the story in chapter three, when he and the narrator have a rather unfortunate first meeting in Pelham Wood. Reconciled to one another after Cedric saves Sir Dickon's life, the two young men become boon companions, and many adventures follow. From the terrible Outlaws of Blackpool, led by the bloodthirsty Monkslayer, to the fierce Welsh warriors under Prince Rhys, Dickon and Cedric have no shortage of enemies to fight, as they grow to manhood on the battlefield. Their final adventure, as grown men, comes with their involvement in the rebellion that leads to the signing of the great Magna Carta.
Set in the same time period traditionally assigned to the legendary Robin Hood, who is mentioned several times in the text, always in connection with skill in archery, Cedric the Forester features the same sort of Norman-Saxon tensions that are so prominent in tales of the outlaw of Sherwood. Bernard Marshall, whose consciously "archaic" language is somewhat reminiscent of Howard Pyle (lots of "thinkest thous"), is clearly a believer in the virtuous Saxon, and while the Mountjoys and others of the Normans are good people, it is clearly the "salt of the earth" Cedric - a fierce believer in the rights of all men, be they noblemen or thralls - who is meant to be the hero.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Marshall's story, as I had somehow internalized the idea, expressed in various venues, that most of the earlier Newbery Honor Books weren't worth reading. Whatever the general case may be, Cedric the Forester was an immensely engaging and entertaining book, and I tore through it. Marshall's language may have annoyed in a lesser author, but felt perfectly natural to me here. Then again, I grew up on Henry Gilbert's rather old-fashioned Robin Hood .
The depiction of the Welsh Prince Rhys as a "barbarian chieftain" will no doubt rankle with many contemporary readers, but I've certainly seen worse, when it comes to anachronistic nationalism and social views in vintage children's literature. I also wondered a bit about the chronology, as Henry II's major campaign in Scotland occurred in the 1170s, and the Welsh uprising under Prince Rhys in the 1190s, a period of time covered in three or four years in Cedric the Forester.
But despite these concerns, the book was well-written, well-paced, and well-told, and I kept wondering at the fact that no one has thought to reprint it! It is worth mentioning, moreover, that the engravings which decorate the book, done (I believe) by J. Scott Williams, greatly enhanced my pleasure in reading. In sum: I have come away with a desire to read more of Bernard Marshall's historical fiction for children - I guess it's time to try another Inter-Library Loan.
Narrated by Sir Dickon (Richard) Mountjoy - a twelfth-century Norman nobleman whose family lands lie in the Western Marches of England - it details his lifelong friendship with the Saxon yeoman, Cedric of Pelham Wood, and their many exciting adventures together. Opening when Sir Dickon is fifteen, and his father is departing to serve the king (Henry II) in his campaign in Scotland, the narrative plunges headlong into fast-paced adventure - never slackening until the conclusion of the novel.
With Castle Mountjoy besieged by an old enemy in the very first chapter, and a surprising "ghostly" visitation in the second, the eponymous Cedric only enters the story in chapter three, when he and the narrator have a rather unfortunate first meeting in Pelham Wood. Reconciled to one another after Cedric saves Sir Dickon's life, the two young men become boon companions, and many adventures follow. From the terrible Outlaws of Blackpool, led by the bloodthirsty Monkslayer, to the fierce Welsh warriors under Prince Rhys, Dickon and Cedric have no shortage of enemies to fight, as they grow to manhood on the battlefield. Their final adventure, as grown men, comes with their involvement in the rebellion that leads to the signing of the great Magna Carta.
Set in the same time period traditionally assigned to the legendary Robin Hood, who is mentioned several times in the text, always in connection with skill in archery, Cedric the Forester features the same sort of Norman-Saxon tensions that are so prominent in tales of the outlaw of Sherwood. Bernard Marshall, whose consciously "archaic" language is somewhat reminiscent of Howard Pyle (lots of "thinkest thous"), is clearly a believer in the virtuous Saxon, and while the Mountjoys and others of the Normans are good people, it is clearly the "salt of the earth" Cedric - a fierce believer in the rights of all men, be they noblemen or thralls - who is meant to be the hero.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Marshall's story, as I had somehow internalized the idea, expressed in various venues, that most of the earlier Newbery Honor Books weren't worth reading. Whatever the general case may be, Cedric the Forester was an immensely engaging and entertaining book, and I tore through it. Marshall's language may have annoyed in a lesser author, but felt perfectly natural to me here. Then again, I grew up on Henry Gilbert's rather old-fashioned Robin Hood .
The depiction of the Welsh Prince Rhys as a "barbarian chieftain" will no doubt rankle with many contemporary readers, but I've certainly seen worse, when it comes to anachronistic nationalism and social views in vintage children's literature. I also wondered a bit about the chronology, as Henry II's major campaign in Scotland occurred in the 1170s, and the Welsh uprising under Prince Rhys in the 1190s, a period of time covered in three or four years in Cedric the Forester.
But despite these concerns, the book was well-written, well-paced, and well-told, and I kept wondering at the fact that no one has thought to reprint it! It is worth mentioning, moreover, that the engravings which decorate the book, done (I believe) by J. Scott Williams, greatly enhanced my pleasure in reading. In sum: I have come away with a desire to read more of Bernard Marshall's historical fiction for children - I guess it's time to try another Inter-Library Loan.
January 5, 2013
In which Dickon, the teenage son of a lord in feudal England, meets Cedric, the teenage son of a yeoman or forester, who is a crack shot. Adventures ensue.
Highly recommended. This is the kind of fast-paced excellent writing I expected from the much-adulated G.A. Henty; why is this book not better known? The use of language is fantabulous. Mr Marshall balances readability with accurate quasi-Shakespearean English better than anyone else I've encountered. All the characters are well-drawn, most of them are likable, and Dickon manages to be a hotheaded teenage boy without making me want to knock him over the head at any point. :D
The plotting is INCREDIBLE. Wikipedia (warning: major spoilers in the book's Wiki summary) mentions that the author was compared favorably to Sir Walter Scott but also quotes a critic disagreeing with this assessment. I have to say - the only way in which Mr Marshall falls short of Sir Walter's standards, imo, is that things happen in this book, at breathtaking speed. XD Every time I thought I'd figured out what the main story arc might be, it was wrapped up in the chapter and another one introduced.
The research isn't the best, though; I'm pretty sure crossbows - a major plot fulcrum - don't work that way, and I'd've sworn the book was set in the 15th century till most of the way through. (Turns out it's set before 1215.) For me, the excellent writing made up for that. Your mileage may vary. I especially liked the way not everything turns out perfectly but the book isn't a paean to bleakness either; it seemed very realistic to me.
I'd give it five stars, except that I hated the ending, which altered historical events in a way that had some pretty awkward implications.
Highly recommended. This is the kind of fast-paced excellent writing I expected from the much-adulated G.A. Henty; why is this book not better known? The use of language is fantabulous. Mr Marshall balances readability with accurate quasi-Shakespearean English better than anyone else I've encountered. All the characters are well-drawn, most of them are likable, and Dickon manages to be a hotheaded teenage boy without making me want to knock him over the head at any point. :D
The plotting is INCREDIBLE. Wikipedia (warning: major spoilers in the book's Wiki summary) mentions that the author was compared favorably to Sir Walter Scott but also quotes a critic disagreeing with this assessment. I have to say - the only way in which Mr Marshall falls short of Sir Walter's standards, imo, is that things happen in this book, at breathtaking speed. XD Every time I thought I'd figured out what the main story arc might be, it was wrapped up in the chapter and another one introduced.
The research isn't the best, though; I'm pretty sure crossbows - a major plot fulcrum - don't work that way, and I'd've sworn the book was set in the 15th century till most of the way through. (Turns out it's set before 1215.) For me, the excellent writing made up for that. Your mileage may vary. I especially liked the way not everything turns out perfectly but the book isn't a paean to bleakness either; it seemed very realistic to me.
I'd give it five stars, except that I hated the ending, which altered historical events in a way that had some pretty awkward implications.
March 5, 2020
Newbery Honors 1922
I thoroughly enjoyed this spirited romp into the 13th century. The book is especially suited for boys eager to read about all sorts of medieval warfare and combats be they castle sieges, ambushes in dark woods, clashing armies and all the perils of medieval life. It is not a sentimental book, and the violence not for the squeamish, but it isn't overly graphic and, if anything, is less gruesome than the epoch really was.
The book is written in a more "archaic" English, the sentence structures and vocabulary evocative of times past. It may be a little hard for middle graders to grasp, but I think it would be a great read-aloud book with parents at the ready to help.
I thoroughly enjoyed this spirited romp into the 13th century. The book is especially suited for boys eager to read about all sorts of medieval warfare and combats be they castle sieges, ambushes in dark woods, clashing armies and all the perils of medieval life. It is not a sentimental book, and the violence not for the squeamish, but it isn't overly graphic and, if anything, is less gruesome than the epoch really was.
The book is written in a more "archaic" English, the sentence structures and vocabulary evocative of times past. It may be a little hard for middle graders to grasp, but I think it would be a great read-aloud book with parents at the ready to help.
April 30, 2015
Oh my goodness. I have finally stumbled across the word "whelmed" in a book. I have joked, like many, that in English we can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed, but I have not come across "whelmed", until this book:
"Soon the defenders of the pass were whelmed with a cloud of arrows and quarrels."
"Soon the defenders of the pass were whelmed with a cloud of arrows and quarrels."
August 9, 2021
Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed this one.
This was one of the first books to win a Newbery Honor in 1922. It's a medieval tale of a young knight and the forester, Cedric, who saves his life, becomes his friend, and the adventures they go on together. It's written in a "ye olde" kind of way which I found fun. It wasn't a book I wanted to couple up with at night but reading a chapter or two a day worked well.
Each chapter is it's own little story. It was fun watching the friendship between Cedric and Richard grow. Cedric was often "schooling" the Mountjoy men on what it means to be a "freeman" and the rights of the peasants. I really liked the chapter where the Mountjoy men learn this when their own faithful and beloved servant, Martin, is beset upon by some wealthy douchebags.
Another favorite chapter is when Cedric and Richard come across a churl, aka slave, from a nearby manor who has been forced to wear an iron collar around his neck. I have no idea how historically accurate any of these situations could be, but I liked the "social justice" chapters the best. Amazing how humanity has to keep learning the same lessons over and over again.
This is not really a book I would recommend to anyone but on the Newbery Quest it's one of the better ones.
Newbery Honor 1922
This was one of the first books to win a Newbery Honor in 1922. It's a medieval tale of a young knight and the forester, Cedric, who saves his life, becomes his friend, and the adventures they go on together. It's written in a "ye olde" kind of way which I found fun. It wasn't a book I wanted to couple up with at night but reading a chapter or two a day worked well.
Each chapter is it's own little story. It was fun watching the friendship between Cedric and Richard grow. Cedric was often "schooling" the Mountjoy men on what it means to be a "freeman" and the rights of the peasants. I really liked the chapter where the Mountjoy men learn this when their own faithful and beloved servant, Martin, is beset upon by some wealthy douchebags.
Another favorite chapter is when Cedric and Richard come across a churl, aka slave, from a nearby manor who has been forced to wear an iron collar around his neck. I have no idea how historically accurate any of these situations could be, but I liked the "social justice" chapters the best. Amazing how humanity has to keep learning the same lessons over and over again.
This is not really a book I would recommend to anyone but on the Newbery Quest it's one of the better ones.
Newbery Honor 1922
July 2, 2021
Dear lord but this is bad. I read his The Torch Bearers, and loved it (the first civil war novel to include the Putney debates) so I thought "I'll read the one that he was nominated for a Newbery for".
I have never before actually seen "Gadzooks!" in the wild.
Sieges are not relieved by the relief party entering the castle from a secret passage and joining the besieged.
An obsession with crossbows??? Why?
It gets steadily worse. Cod Walter Scott. Avoid.
I have never before actually seen "Gadzooks!" in the wild.
Sieges are not relieved by the relief party entering the castle from a secret passage and joining the besieged.
An obsession with crossbows??? Why?
It gets steadily worse. Cod Walter Scott. Avoid.
September 20, 2024
I really loved this historical fiction in the times of Richard the Lionheart and King John. Very Robin Hood-esque.
Clad in green and holding a cross-bow at his side, Cedric is larger than life, despite his poor upbringing. He is sharp and intelligent in scholarly learning and in warfare. He cares more for his friends and for the commoners than he does for himself. He protects the innocent at all costs, while also upholding the law of the land. He is unapologetic in speaking the truth. A very wonderful character for young boys to idolize.
I also loved the Lady mother of Richard of Mountjoy. Her main goals are to always respect her husband while also tempering his temper, and to teach Richard and Cedric in reading and history. And, whilst her husband was away at war, she was the fearless protectress of their castle under siege. A great example of a wife, mother, and noble Lady.
Finally, the author at various times defends the Church against claims of complete corruption by stating that it is not the Church’s fault that corrupt men at times misuse her offices and ancient rites. Love it.
Clad in green and holding a cross-bow at his side, Cedric is larger than life, despite his poor upbringing. He is sharp and intelligent in scholarly learning and in warfare. He cares more for his friends and for the commoners than he does for himself. He protects the innocent at all costs, while also upholding the law of the land. He is unapologetic in speaking the truth. A very wonderful character for young boys to idolize.
I also loved the Lady mother of Richard of Mountjoy. Her main goals are to always respect her husband while also tempering his temper, and to teach Richard and Cedric in reading and history. And, whilst her husband was away at war, she was the fearless protectress of their castle under siege. A great example of a wife, mother, and noble Lady.
Finally, the author at various times defends the Church against claims of complete corruption by stating that it is not the Church’s fault that corrupt men at times misuse her offices and ancient rites. Love it.
September 10, 2011
Another early Newbery Honor that didn't look like much at first (my ILL copy was in two pieces!) but was really rather a good piece. I can't think of a single child I would recommend it to today, because although it is full of action (plenty of people die, and in every chapter, too!), the narrative is rather old-fashioned. It fits the story, but probably would not recommend itself well to many of today's children. Still, fans of Robin Hood and knights and chivalry would probably be willing to give it a go. Because it has never been reprinted, however, that is rather a moot point as very few people will probably go to the trouble to get their hands on one of the few circulating copies. Still, I'm not sorry that I did, as it was a very enjoyable change of pace.
July 4, 2020
Ok, I made it about a third of the way through this book. It was fun, and I could see it's appeal to a certain audience (in fact, I texted my sister that my 12-year-old, midieval loving, chain-link-making nephew needed to read it). However, it just seemed really long to me and I don't have a lot of interest in finishing. I do think it has much more appeal to children and staying power (and value as literature) than the winner from this year did.
January 24, 2013
As I was reading the book I kept thinking that this story takes place so long ago that the likelihood of such a person rising to the power he attained is too low and that his thoughts and politics were way ahead of his time. Then at the end I realized this book really is about someone real who was one in a million - and whose ideas and politics really were way ahead of his time.
December 23, 2020
As I said in my review of the audiobook version of this Newbery honor book, 11 year old Me would have *loved* this book. Every chapter holds a swash-bucking medieval adventure that the youths find themselves in, and we get to see a commoner become a knight. I believe current youths would also enjoy this book.
March 10, 2021
Told from the perspective of Dickon, the son of an English Lord, the story is full of energy and action. Cedric, his commoner friend, and Dickon fight together through thick and thin. They get involved in a series of battles, fights, adventures, and ultimately a history-making event. The story is fun, a little bit exciting, and somewhat unrealistic. But altogether, a rollicking good time!
October 4, 2025
Summary: A novel narrated by Dickon Mountjoy, who at the start of the book is an English teenager living in the mid-12th century who is in line to be the next Lord Mountjoy. The book is a series of loosely connected stories, most centered around Dickon and Cedric, a commoner friend his age he meets in an early chapter. Set in the same time as (and namechecks) Robin Hood, and written in that brand of faux medieval-speak (“gadzooks” is used unironically), this was a more enjoyable set of adventures than I had expected.
Discussion: Finally got to one from the first batch of Newbery Honors of 1922. The winner from that year, The Story of Mankind, is a nonfiction book that was one of my least favorites, and most of the adventure books that won the medal is this era didn’t really do it for me. The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle the following year was pretty good (although it aged very poorly in places), but this felt more like The Dark Frigate the year after that in its use of a stylized tone. I’m not even sure where this tone comes from in the case of this book — 12th century English nobles would be speaking a version of French, or possibly Middle English, neither of which are this tropey “medieval” style, which seems more like 16th century English, maybe. Not sure on the history of how that got established as a trope, but it is sort of the stereotype of what people sounded like in that era. It takes a little bit to adjust to, but if you embrace it, it’s kind of fun.
I mentioned Robin Hood in the summary; Cedric is kind of like Robin Hood if he had decided to work within in the system instead of as an outlaw. He’s almost superhumanly skilled in archery, he’s incredibly bright, everyone loves him. He even fights for the little guy. A few chapters take up debates in an interesting way, like whether slavery is bad or whether all people should have rights or not, and Cedric is on the side of modern sensibilities. There are a lot of people getting killed for a kids book, I suppose, and our heroes are doing a lot of the killing, but it’s all done in a swashbuckling sort of way.
All in all, better than I had expected. Better than The Story of Mankind, at least.
Discussion: Finally got to one from the first batch of Newbery Honors of 1922. The winner from that year, The Story of Mankind, is a nonfiction book that was one of my least favorites, and most of the adventure books that won the medal is this era didn’t really do it for me. The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle the following year was pretty good (although it aged very poorly in places), but this felt more like The Dark Frigate the year after that in its use of a stylized tone. I’m not even sure where this tone comes from in the case of this book — 12th century English nobles would be speaking a version of French, or possibly Middle English, neither of which are this tropey “medieval” style, which seems more like 16th century English, maybe. Not sure on the history of how that got established as a trope, but it is sort of the stereotype of what people sounded like in that era. It takes a little bit to adjust to, but if you embrace it, it’s kind of fun.
I mentioned Robin Hood in the summary; Cedric is kind of like Robin Hood if he had decided to work within in the system instead of as an outlaw. He’s almost superhumanly skilled in archery, he’s incredibly bright, everyone loves him. He even fights for the little guy. A few chapters take up debates in an interesting way, like whether slavery is bad or whether all people should have rights or not, and Cedric is on the side of modern sensibilities. There are a lot of people getting killed for a kids book, I suppose, and our heroes are doing a lot of the killing, but it’s all done in a swashbuckling sort of way.
All in all, better than I had expected. Better than The Story of Mankind, at least.
February 14, 2025
Cedric the Forester was one of my favorites for the 1921 Newberry stack. In fact, it probably would tie for first.
The story is set over many years with Cedric not being the narrator. I didn't expect that but enjoyed the outside perspective. The chapters are episodic making this a great read a loud. Each and every time I thought the big long war was coming, everything was tied up neat and tidy at the end of the chapter.
Cedric is a forester who rises to the rank of knight at the time of King John of England. He is certainly the hero of the story. He keeps his cool and is always respectful even when he disagrees with his "betters." He is loyal, studious, great with a crossbow, and an amazing tactician. The message, "Be like Cedric."
The signing of the Magna Carta at the end is a good conclusion to Cedric's service first as a forester, squire, knight, and finally landed lord. He fights for the rights of all men in England, not just the landed gentry.
I think boys and girls will enjoy this one. It can feel a bit long towards the end, but overall I enjoyed the vignettes from Sir Richard's and Sir Cedric's life.
The story is set over many years with Cedric not being the narrator. I didn't expect that but enjoyed the outside perspective. The chapters are episodic making this a great read a loud. Each and every time I thought the big long war was coming, everything was tied up neat and tidy at the end of the chapter.
Cedric is a forester who rises to the rank of knight at the time of King John of England. He is certainly the hero of the story. He keeps his cool and is always respectful even when he disagrees with his "betters." He is loyal, studious, great with a crossbow, and an amazing tactician. The message, "Be like Cedric."
The signing of the Magna Carta at the end is a good conclusion to Cedric's service first as a forester, squire, knight, and finally landed lord. He fights for the rights of all men in England, not just the landed gentry.
I think boys and girls will enjoy this one. It can feel a bit long towards the end, but overall I enjoyed the vignettes from Sir Richard's and Sir Cedric's life.
July 30, 2022
I listened to this book on audiobook. It begins with Dickon’s father going to war and the Old Wolf attacking his community. His mother successfully leads a defense of her people. The Old Wolf later dies from a wound given to him by Marvin. Dickon runs into the Old Wolf’s son, who fights unfairly in a fight with Dickon. Cedric comes to Dickon’s rescue and becomes his squire. Cedric competes in an archery competition, goes to many battles, has a dispute with Dickon’s father, and almost dies. He also becomes instrumental in forming the Magna Carta.
The language in this book was a little challenging at first, but the story is great. The main characters work together and help each other overcome adversity, and Cedric is very noble and puts the needs of others before himself on many occasions. I appreciated the themes of loyalty and doing the right thing even when it is difficult to do so.
The language in this book was a little challenging at first, but the story is great. The main characters work together and help each other overcome adversity, and Cedric is very noble and puts the needs of others before himself on many occasions. I appreciated the themes of loyalty and doing the right thing even when it is difficult to do so.
May 29, 2017
While the language would be a struggle for younger readers, and it took me a few chapters to settle into the time period, I enjoyed this story of the Middle Ages. It was episodic, making it easy to read in small pieces, but full of action. The time period really came to life, as did the reasoning behind the Magna Carta, which is drafted in the final chapter. I wish I knew British history a bit better, as I got a bit muddled with the changings of the kings.
March 2, 2020
This Newbery honor book is now available as a free audiobook at LibriVox.
11 year old Me would have *loved* this book. Adult me found it entertaining enough, having a good appreciation for historic fiction, particularly set during Medieval times. I doubt young Me would have begun to notice the nuances of Cedric's ideas building up to the book's nod to the creation of the Magna Carta, because all the adventures would have kept my eye.
11 year old Me would have *loved* this book. Adult me found it entertaining enough, having a good appreciation for historic fiction, particularly set during Medieval times. I doubt young Me would have begun to notice the nuances of Cedric's ideas building up to the book's nod to the creation of the Magna Carta, because all the adventures would have kept my eye.
January 20, 2022
This is a Newbery Honor book from the 1920s. It is the story that takes place in England during the times of knights, squires, serfs, etc. Cedric is a young boy who is very good with the crossbow and eventually becomes a knight while helping a Lord's son. The story is ok, but I can't imagine it would get much thought regarding the Newbery today.
May 24, 2024
I enjoyed this overall. It's a very American feeling story for a medieval knight tale. Very much a rags to riches, work hard and you can achieve anything kind of story. I thought it was really interesting that Cedric is not the narrator and found it brought an interesting sort of perspective to the story.
January 12, 2018
Not bad for a classic. Kind of like Ivanhoe or Robin Hood. Sometimes a bit too violent in spots. And the connection to the Magna Carta kind of snuck up on me.
January 21, 2022
Interesting
September 21, 2024
This was a 1922 Newbery Honor book. For the time that it was written and for the audience at that time it was a truly an exciting read.
Want to read
May 22, 20251922 Newbery honor book
February 20, 2017
This is a fun tale told by a young Norman nobleman, Richard Mountjoy, and set in England during the early Middle Ages. He tells his story via the story of a young Saxon freeman, Cedric of Pelham Woods, a forester who proves himself the equal of any Norman. There are battles and sieges galore. The time period is roughly that of Robin Hood and the book closes signing of the Magna Carta. This is one of the forgotten Newbery Honor books - probably due to the difficulty of the prose which is deliberately archaic - and that's a real shame. I read this for my Newbery Challenge (Honor book 1922) and my 2017 Reading Challenge.
March 22, 2016
This is a 1922 Newbery Honor Book about the signing of the Magna Carta.
The language and prose is archaic; the plot is easy enough to follow and the dictionary-capability of an eReader helps with the vocabulary, but the telling of this story has tedious moments.
The narrator is Richard, aka Dickon, a nobleman of Mountjoy, and I never developed a clear picture of him though I had a clear vision of the title-character, a yeoman first introduced as Cedric, son of Elbert but later called Cedric De La Roche.
The lack of details is my biggest issue with this book. I would have liked a more concrete world built around historical details. We learn very little about the real historical figures who step into the plot. The greater part of this story reads like a fable, like stories about Robin Hood, which may or may not be true. And the story didn't hook me until I approached the end of the book, when I realized that the plot led to the signing of the Magna Carta. It felt like the signing of the Magna Carta was thrown in at the last minute to keep this from being just another fantasy story about the Middle Ages.
The language and prose is archaic; the plot is easy enough to follow and the dictionary-capability of an eReader helps with the vocabulary, but the telling of this story has tedious moments.
The narrator is Richard, aka Dickon, a nobleman of Mountjoy, and I never developed a clear picture of him though I had a clear vision of the title-character, a yeoman first introduced as Cedric, son of Elbert but later called Cedric De La Roche.
The lack of details is my biggest issue with this book. I would have liked a more concrete world built around historical details. We learn very little about the real historical figures who step into the plot. The greater part of this story reads like a fable, like stories about Robin Hood, which may or may not be true. And the story didn't hook me until I approached the end of the book, when I realized that the plot led to the signing of the Magna Carta. It felt like the signing of the Magna Carta was thrown in at the last minute to keep this from being just another fantasy story about the Middle Ages.
May 22, 2009
Narrated by Cedric's comrade-in-arms, Richard of Mountjoy, this book tells the story of the title character, a brave and valiant youth. It takes place in medieval times, when King Richard the Lionhearted was king and into the time when Prince John took over the throne. Cedric shows time and again his noble ways and bravery; he often fights for the rights of the common people, going against powerful leaders and friends in the process.
It kind of reminded me of something like Robin Hood, and I liked that the characters were young. The only not-so-great thing was the number of battle scenes--they were pretty boring in my opinion. I kind of skimmed those parts. But I finished, and I thought the end had a nice little surprise for the reader. I'd read it if you can find a copy, it's a nice story and a Newbery honor book from 1922, the first year they gave out the award; plus it's super-hard to find.
It kind of reminded me of something like Robin Hood, and I liked that the characters were young. The only not-so-great thing was the number of battle scenes--they were pretty boring in my opinion. I kind of skimmed those parts. But I finished, and I thought the end had a nice little surprise for the reader. I'd read it if you can find a copy, it's a nice story and a Newbery honor book from 1922, the first year they gave out the award; plus it's super-hard to find.
December 26, 2014
1922 Newbery Honor Book
Anyone who enjoyed The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood will enjoy this book. It's written in the same older English language and is set in the same time period (Richard the Lionhearted and John). The format is also similar with each chapter being it's own "adventure" so that the book reads like a book of short stories than a novel (much like Robin Hood.
It is told from the viewpoint of Dickon, the son of Mountjoy. The book opens with an attack on the Mountjoy estate by the house of Carleton. Soon after, Dickon meets the son of Carleton in the forest and is saved from certain death by Cedric, a forester and expert with a crossbow. The two become fast friends and have many adventures together.
As this is an older book, it is available completely free from Project Gutenberg if you are having issues locating it.
Anyone who enjoyed The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood will enjoy this book. It's written in the same older English language and is set in the same time period (Richard the Lionhearted and John). The format is also similar with each chapter being it's own "adventure" so that the book reads like a book of short stories than a novel (much like Robin Hood.
It is told from the viewpoint of Dickon, the son of Mountjoy. The book opens with an attack on the Mountjoy estate by the house of Carleton. Soon after, Dickon meets the son of Carleton in the forest and is saved from certain death by Cedric, a forester and expert with a crossbow. The two become fast friends and have many adventures together.
As this is an older book, it is available completely free from Project Gutenberg if you are having issues locating it.
April 1, 2016
This was a Newbery Honor book the first year the award was given. While I don't know that I necessarily think it would have deserved the medal, I certainly feel like it was a better book than The Story of Mankind. For the most part, I really enjoyed the book. Based on the title, I was surprised that Cedric didn't even make an appearance until the 2nd chapter, and that he wasn't really the main character of the book. The book takes place during the reigns of King Richard the Lionheart and King John. There are a couple of references to Robin Hood. Where the book really bothered me historically was in the last chapter on the writing of the Magna Charta. I wasn't really fond of the way it was done...it seemed to change history too much. I love a good historical novel, but not one that tries to change history. However, overall, it was kind of a fun read.
September 7, 2017
This book was pretty easy read with enough ongoing adventure to keep things moving at a decent pace. There’s a lot of “justice shall triumph moments!” which were a little corny, but I enjoyed. Also, it had the word whelmed, which I don’t believe I’ve seen in a book before, so that was exciting. (My childhood was built on the wisdom of the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, in which there is a very deep conversation about being "whelmed", so I've been primed for years.)
Naively, I did not expect all the events to be leading up to (I do realize it’s fictionalized, but the history refresher was nice.) And I quite liked that the star of the show, Cedric, was not our narrator.
Naively, I did not expect all the events to be leading up to (I do realize it’s fictionalized, but the history refresher was nice.) And I quite liked that the star of the show, Cedric, was not our narrator.
May 22, 2016
I enjoyed this book. It's full of adventure which is not usually my favorite, but this book was made up of more of a series of adventures and the way the author wrote made me care about the characters who were being rescued and who were doing the rescuing. This was a 1922 Newberry Honor book, and it is one of my favorites of the 1922 honor books. The language is fairly complex and the dialogue is written to mimic the language of the knights and squires of the time so I think it would be tricky for younger readers. However I think it would be a fun read out loud with Davey!
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