Robin Hood

by Bob Blaisdell (Editor)

Generations of young readers have thrilled to the legend of the noble outlaw of Sherwood Forest. Now Robin Hood and his Band of Merry Men come to life again in this imaginative new retelling of the age-old tale. Youngsters will delight in the feats of valor and thrilling exploits of Robin, Little John, Friar Tuck, Allan a Dale, Maid Marian, and the other members of the band as they struggle for freedom and justice against the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. Six charming new illustrations enhance this edition.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens

96 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 1994

About the author

Bob Blaisdell is a published adapter, author, editor, and an illustrator of children's books and young adult books. He teaches English in Brooklyn at Kingsborough Community College. He is a reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle and Christian Science Monitor and the editor of more than three dozen anthologies for Dover Publications. Email him at Robert.Blaisdell@Kingsborough.edu

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was laugh-out-loud funny to Gwen.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

We did this read aloud because we read briefly about Robin Hood in school and I wanted to read more of the Robin Hood stories. This was a good overview of some of the most well-known ones. I know there are longer ones but this short one was just right for what I was looking for. My kids thought it was pretty funny.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consisting of twelve stories, this is a book of Robin Hood tales aimed at young readers. The stories are short and simple. I highly recommend it to those who would like an introduction to Robin Hood.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read with Rose

[Megan Olsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 6-year-old loved this one! I was a little worried, because it wasn't one that I read growing up, and there are so many variants to the Robin Hood myth that I wasn't sure what to expect from the book, but it was great. The novel is really a collection of episodic stories, mostly connected to each other through the constant clash with the Sheriff of Nottingham. In the stories, Robin Hood meets all sorts of travelers making their way through the forest where he resides, and describes his dealings with them. Almost every story contains a lengthy fight, with some sort of truce at the end and a pledge to be friends (not with the Sheriff, though). Lots of clothes-swapping, disguises, trickery, sword fights, contests, and rash decisions. Also, good thing we're in Robin Hood's corner from the beginning, because his actions are sometimes "borderline-bad-guy" -- like when he demands a toll from the potter trying to get his wares to market, or when he tricks the Sheriff and robs him pretty darn thoroughly with 50 of Robin's merry men to back him up. Talk about an ambush. I tried to read the voices of certain characters in a really mean, sniveling voice to make it easier for my son to discern who the bad guys were, because it was not often objectively clear!

I great adventure book. We liked this simplified version.

[R. G. Nairam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings. It did some interesting mixtures of different elements and some careless ones (how many times will the Sheriff /really/ not recognize him?), some funny things and some dull dialogue. It all felt a bit distant and uncommitted.

[Jock Zollinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book uses Robin Hood and tells many stories about him that are put into one. I would recommend this book to people who like trickery because Robin tricks people a lot. I would rate this a five because I liked how he obtained a new crew member or a friend in about each chapter.

[WSL Library]

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