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Summary
Summary
National Book Award winner Kathryn Erskine presents a unique novel about a sickly boy's epic journey through England and Scotland at the height of Medieval times. Adrian is small for his age, even for an almost thirteen year old. It doesn't help that he has albinism, which makes those he meets wonder if he's an angel or a devil. His father is a bowyer, and all Adrian wants to do is become apprenticed and go off to war as an archer. But that's not what his father wants for him. Since Adrian can write, his father wants him to be a scribe. That's just about the last thing Adrian wants. When the Scots invade England and Adrian's best friend Hugh runs off to find his father and fight in battles, Adrian soon follows, intent on finding Hugh and joining him in glorious warfare against the pagans invading England from the north. When Adrian finds Hugh, who is caring for a wounded Scotsman, he's horrified that Hugh would aid an enemy. But soon, as Adrian gets to know Donald, he begins to question what he's been taught about the enemy and the nature of war. In this epic journey an afflicted boy finds an inner strength he never knew belonged to him.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Twelve-year-old Adrian is small for his age, and the perfect target for the village bullies. He simply wants to be a bow maker like his father, or maybe an archer, though his father wants him to become a scribe. When the Scots invade England, Adrian leaves his village, seeking his friend Hugh, who has run off to join the army. Adrian goes from village to town to monastery, finding adventure and learning what it means to be a man. When he does meet up with Hugh, he learns that his friend has been caring for a wounded Scottish soldier. But as Adrian helps, he learns that maybe the enemy isn't so bad, and that perhaps war isn't so glorious after all. Most importantly, Adrian learns to think for himself, and have the courage to do what is right, even if it is not popular. Narrator Graham Halstead brings the story to life, and children and adults alike will be captivated by Adrian's tale. VERDICT This exceptional audiobook should be required listening for tweens.-Amanda Rollins, Northwest Village School, Plainville, CT (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this picaresque-style historical novel, 13-year-old Adrian-small, asthmatic, and an albino-dreams of becoming a soldier and fighting the "pagan Scots" that threaten 1346 England. Perceived as weak and touched by the devil, the self-dubbed "Badger" is a skilled archer and has the rare ability to read and write. When his amiable friend Hugh joins the English army, Adrian runs away to follow him. Adrian's meandering journey has its dry moments: his adventures at a priory, friendship with a knight, and encounter with a Roman latrine can read like a checklist meant to supplement a middle-school history class. But National Book Award-winner Erskine (The Absolute Value of Mike) gives her unlikely warrior a lively voice, and the narrative cleverly upends Adrian's assumptions and prejudices, especially when it comes to foreigners and his long suffering cousin Bessie, whose kindness and determination he belittles as badly as others do him. The medieval-era mud and dung, as well as a scene of graphic battle violence, should captivate readers seeking total immersion in a distant, yet vibrantly imagined era. Ages 8-12. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Erskine uses the strife of medieval England as a backdrop to explore differences, puberty and the divided loyalties of war. Narrator Adrian, almost 13, dreams of being an archer and an apprentice to his father, a master bowyer. However, his sickliness and pallor (he suffers from albinism) are too great for his kind but overprotective father to see beyond. While his friend Hugh is preparing to battle the "pagan Scots," Adrian is scribing recipes, fighting Bessie the ox (oddly, a female) and dodging the barbs of his inaptly named Good Aunt. He brandishes his own slightly bitter wit with droll chapter headings such as "In Which I Write Recipes While Hugh Handles Bessie (and Bess)." Adriancalled Badger for the dirt he smears under his eyes to improve his weak eyesightsets out to find Hugh and prove himself in battle. His journey into Scotland yields such historical tidbits as the existence of spectacles and the Romans' invention of flushing latrines, which keep the past relevant. Adrian, too, is a typical boy who plays pranks and swears, though exclamations like "Ockham's razor!" lose their novelty after a few too many repetitions. War is also a constant, and Adrian matures quickly upon witnessing its horrors and unexpected kindnesses. The moral is common, but the unusual setting highlights the message that people aren't so different from one another; fans of Karen Cushman will enjoy this. (glossary, author's note) (Historical fiction. 10-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Thirteen-year-old Adrian is small and sickly, and others are convinced he will amount to nothing, even though his father is the village bowyer. When the war between England and Scotland erupts around them, Adrian sneaks off alongside his friend Hugh to join the battle, wanting to prove his prowess with a bow and gain the respect of others. But battle in the Middle Ages is violent and unglamorous, and when the two boys end up rescuing a Scotsman from certain death, it causes them to question all they have known about loyalty and calling and, ultimately, what it means to be a man. Erskine has done a remarkable job of showing the horrific destruction of war without being preachy or overly dramatic. Her skillful rendering of medieval life its smells and limitations and ignorance is reminiscent of the best from Kathryn Cushman or Avi's Crispin novels. Readers of both genders will identify with Adrian as he searches for a sense of identity, even while he confronts his own demons.--Moore, Melissa Copyright 2014 Booklist
