The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

We (me, Austin, Nyah) really enjoyed reading this book, and have recently been reading our favorite chapters. This book is the story of Edward, a 3 foot tall porcelain rabbit, who is self-centered and has never bothered to learn about real love. He is loved by a girl, Abilene, who unfortunately loses him while traveling by ship to England. Two boys snatch him up and begin tossing him back and forth between them, when he is suddenly lost over the side of the ship. He then begins his miraculous journey by sinking to the bottom of the sea, where he stays many months, before being rescued by a fisherman's net, and taken home by the old fisherman as a gift for his wife, where Edward is christened Susanna and dressed accordingly. The fisherman and his wife love and care for Edward, but soon their daughter arrives after hearing rumors of her parents treating a doll like a child. She tosses him into the garbage, and he ends up in the dump where he remains buried by trash until he is rescued by a dog. Then begins Edwards journey with a hobo and his dog, who again treat him as part of the family. After several years Edward is tragically separated from his companions, and finds himself picked up by an old woman who gives him the job of scarecrow for her garden. He is rescued by a boy as a gift for his sick and dying little sister. When the sister does die, the boy takes Edward and uses him as a puppet to dance to his harmonica music to support himself. Once the boy earns money he goes to a diner for lunch, but finds he doesn't have enough to pay the tab. The cook reacts by smashing Edward's head onto the counter. Through all of his journeys Edward has learned about loving and caring for others, but when he awakes and discovers the boy has given him up to a doll repairman in exchange for fixing Edward, Edward decides he will not love again and hardens his heart. But what does the future hold for Edward as he sits on the store shelves day after day watching customers come and go?

I admit I cried at the end of the book. It was a wonderful ending.

Thumbs UP.

The Squire's Tales by Gerald Morris

This is one of my favorite series--which means it is one I've read multiple times and still love it!! I believe all of these books are true to the tales they are based on, but also very original. I like how the main characters in these books would be considered "minor" characters, like the first cople books are told through the eyes of Terence, squire to Sir Gawain, King Arthur's greatest knight. Morris has a very humorous style of writing--dry and subtle--it makes reading enjoyable. I really enjoy the first 7, but there was something about the last one that made it a so-so story. Maybe it was because it is about the illegitimate sons of the knights, or because the quest they are on ends differently (doesn't feel as victorious as past books), or the story wasn't as fluid as the others--or all of the above.

Morris has a very humorous style of writing--dry and subtle

Again, I've mostly copied the story plots from my library website or amazon, but have added some of my own comments as well.

1. The Squire's Tale (1998)
In medieval England, fourteen-year-old Terence, who has been raised by a hermit who sees time backwards--seeing the future and forgetting the past, finds his tranquil existence suddenly changed when he becomes the squire of the young Gawain of Orkney and accompanies him on a long quest, proving Gawain's worth as a knight and revealing an important secret about his own true identity.

This tale is based on the "ugly woman"--one of the Gawain legends. Sir Gawain becomes a knight of the round table by defeating a recreant knight with a stew pot

2. The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady (1999)
Young Terence, squire to Sir Gawain, can't deny that things at Camelot are changing--and not for the better. Handsome new knight Sir Lancelot has eclipsed Gawain's star and also has won the heart of Queen Guinevere, sending courtiers into a gossipy frenzy, and beloved King Arthur into a depression. When the mysterious, otherworldly Green Knight issues a daunting challenge, only Gawain accepts, proving his loyalty to Arthur, though embracing potential tragedy. But the quest proves a soul-searching, ultimately rewarding personal pilgrimage. A sequel of sorts to Morris' The Squire's Tale (1998), this delightful interpretation of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" stands well on its own. (Amazon)

3. The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf (2000)
Teenaged Lady Lynet sets out for Camelot, looking for a champion to free her family's castle from the siege of an evil knight who is demanding her sisters hand in marriage. Along the way, she befriends several mysterious companions, none of whom is exactly as he or she first appears. Scattered throughout Lynet's saga are droll, unusually modern portrayals of many familiar Arthurian characters. The heroine, nicknamed the Savage Damsel, is a take-charge kind of gal. Noble Sir Gareth appears as a "clothheaded ninny," whose turbocharged sense of honor forces him into an unnecessary duel with every knight he stumbles across, and brave Sir Lancelot has burned out on chivalry and admits he has become a media creation. The novel is also enjoyable for its good-natured spoofing of the conventions of its medieval setting (my favorite thing about Morris' books!!). Knights of the Round Table avoid any tournament where the prize is a lady's hand in marriage, figuring there must be something wrong with her. Characters poke fun at one another's lofty, Maloryesque language. Also, some of the most courageous knights are shown to be none too bright, which explains why they risk their lives so readily. (Amazon)

4. Parsifal's Page (2001)
Morris retells a knight's legend from the perspective of his helper and companion, Piers becomes squire to Parsifal. In this entertaining and substantive story, Piers's wanderlust takes him to the court of King Arthur where he meets up with a lost soul, Parsifal, who longs to be a knight. Piers's mother has regaled him with stories of her life as a maid-in-waiting at the French court, so he has grown up with lofty ideas and the ambition to become a knight's page. Parsifal is clearly in need of his expertise--he doesn't know anything about proper dress, manners, or social customs. Readers familiar with the legend will recognize the main events. After Parsifal fails to ask "the" question and realizes his mistake, he continues his Grail quest alone, and Piers joins Sir Gawain and his page on further adventures, thus continuing the story begun in The Squire's Tale. (Amazon)

5. The Ballad of Sir Dinadan (2003)--My favorite one
Sir Dinadan is a reluctant knight who upholds the noble standards of Camelot in his own way. The likable and unassuming Dinadan, younger brother of the famous Sir Tristram, travels the land, encountering deceptive damsels and foolish knights. His compassion and common sense earn him the respect of many, and his keen wit satirizes the excesses of Arthurian heroism that he observes along the way. The tragic tale of Tristram and Iseult becomes a funny story "about two fools drinking from the wrong flask." Dinadan befriends a would-be knight named Culloch, but can't endure the useless parade of tasks his friend eagerly attempts to win a bride. The humor is accessible; readers don't need to know The Faery Queene to appreciate Dinadan's playful mockery of allegory (or, as he calls it, "saying things by pretending to say something else"). Along with the satire, though, Dinadan succeeds in righting some true wrongs, protecting a young woman he admires, and restoring a deposed king to his throne. (Amazon)

6. The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight (2004)
Sarah, an orphaned teenager who is on a quest for revenge when she encounters Queen Guinevere and Sir Kai. After Kai catches Sarah trying to steal his sword, he gives her a special sword made for his son and teaches her how to use it. When the evil Sir Meliagant kidnaps Guinevere and wounds Kai, Sarah searches for a way to help them. A crone leads her to Camelot where she meets King Arthur, and she goes with Sir Gawain and his squire to rescue Kai and Guinevere. On the road, they encounter trickery, danger, and many characters and plot twists. Sarah gets her revenge, but it is not sweet, and this well-drawn character eventually finds strength and peace within herself.

This one addresses the more serious issue of prejudice, injustice, and violence against Jews in medieval Europe, but still remains true to Morris's style. (Amazon)

7. The Lioness and Her Knight (2005)
Lady Luneta lives cooped up with her parents in a remote region of the kingdom and, like many teens, longs to get out and have some fun. When her parents agree to let her see a bit of the world, and to give them a break from mother-daughter turmoil, Luneta is thrilled. Soon she is on her way, accompanied by her cousin, the knight Ywain, to the castle of a family friend near Camelot. They meet Rhience, a former knight who has sworn to live as a court fool for one year and not use a sword against anyone, and the three travel together, with Ywain imagining himself fighting gloriously in battle and Rhience spouting barbs and witticisms along the way. Once at Lady Laudine's castle, Ywain kills their hostess's husband in battle and immediately falls in love with the lady herself, Luneta becomes an enchantress under the direction of her great-aunt Morgan Le Fay, and Rhience proves to be a loyal companion and not such a fool after all.

The plot feels like it runs a bit long and sometimes seems to move away from the main plot, but is overall good. (Amazon)

8. The Quest of the Fair Unknown (2006)
Beaufils spends the first 17 years of his life in a forest cottage with his loving mother, never meeting another human being. Then, upon her urging, he goes forth into the world of men, to seek out King Arthur's court and his erstwhile father. This unique background makes the protagonist the perfect foil for the other characters' antics. He bumbles along, innocently taming evil as he seeks his father and helps his friends complete their own quests. (Amazon)

"Bumbles along" is how I would describe the plot. For whatever reason this one just wasn't as enjoyable.