Knights of the Kitchen Table (Time Warp Trio) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Lane Smith (Illustrator)
Key Phrases: Black Knight, King Arthur, Uncle Joe (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-- A book from his magician uncle transports Joe and his friends, Fred and Sam, back in time to swashbuckling adventures fraught with dangers at every turn. In the first story, quick thinking and daring-do save them from a fire-breathing dragon and a foul-smelling giant; in the second, an encounter with the dreaded Blackbeard almost causes their demise. Tongue-in-cheek humor, laced with understatement and word play, makes for laugh-out-loud reading, as verbal insults are hurled, and the boys outwit their foes. Villains and heroes clash, as do modern and archaic language and dress, causing misunderstandings and mayhem. Short, easy-to-read sentences and lots of zany dialogue perfectly suit the breathless pace. Smith brings new dimension to black-and-white drawings, as looming villains tower over the trio, brandishing swords or lances, and the boys escape their captors. A true melding of word and pictures, and jolly good fun. --Trev Jones, School Library Journal
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

The author of the hilarious The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (1989) comes up with an entertaining formula in this first ``Time Warp Trio'' story: Narrator Joe is given a magic book (''The Book'') that transports him and two friends to King Arthur's Britain, where they find themselves confronted by a fearsome Black Knight--who's easy to defeat with some quick dodging when he's in mid-charge. Then Lancelot, Gawain, et al. happen by and take the boys for heroes--a reputation they sustain by tricking the loathsome giant who's menacing the castle into fighting the terrible dragon (Smaug) that has also just turned up. Scieszka unobtrusively slips in several classic references and defines some chivalric jargon by having the boys comically paraphrase it; there is some daring juvenile humor on the subject of the giant's various atrocious smells, and the contrast between the boys' breezy manner and the knights' pseudo-formality is also good for several laughs. A little forced, but this should serve its purpose. Smith's drawings deftly reflect the blend of everyday kid with zany, mock-gruesome adventure. See also a simultaneously published sequel, The Not-So-Jolly Roger, reviewed below (in brief). (Fiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (April 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142400432
• ISBN-13: 978-0142400432
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,718 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Knights of the Reading Circle, November 27, 1999

By	M. Hintz (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Knights of the Kitchen Table (Time Warp Trio) (Paperback)

I am a third grade teacher, and every September I start off the new school year with The Knights of the Kitchen Table. I use the Time Warp Trio to ease my students into sitting quietly, while listening to a story for pleasure. After each chapter the children beg me to read another! Regardless of the academic abilities of my students, every one of them seems to truly enjoy this series. Although it is certainly not worthy of a Newbery Medal, I feel it is a fantastic easier chapter book that serves as a springboard to reading. In fact, The Time Warp Trio books are rarely sitting on the shelves of our school library. They are always in a child's hands. To me that makes it worthy of 5 stars.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent series for kids and their parents., April 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Knights of the Kitchen Table (Time Warp Trio) (Paperback)

My son...was given this book by his aunt who works in a library. I had never heard of the Time Warp Trio before that. This book is just right for him. It's not too long to be overwhelming but long enough to be challenging. The kids in the book act in a realistic manner and aren't overly heroic or too goody goody. The book was both interesting and funny and a real pleasure to read with my son. We also have a few others in the series now. This book is perfect for the kid who has outgrown Little Critter and Dr. Seuss but is not quite ready for Harry Potter.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three youngs boys accidently travel through time., November 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Knights of the Kitchen Table (Time Warp Trio) (Paperback)

I am a fifth grade teacher who read this book, one chapter at a time to my students. After each chapter, they had an activity to work on which related to what they had just read. The students had more fun listening to the story as well as doing the actitivies. Each time I reached the end of a chapter, the students would want me to "keep reading" because each chapter would simply leave you "hanging." It is a fast reading book that any young student would enjoy.