Customer Reviews

Knights of the Lunch Table: No. 1 (The Dodgeball Chronicles)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i have a fourth grader, who is a good reader, but very reluctant to read. he got this at his school's book fair, loved it, and is now reading all the time. I hope this becomes a series!!! Frank Cammuso, if you're out there, please write more! I will then tell my son about King Arthur, and he may even be willing to read those wonderful classics.

"Knights of the Lunch Table," by Frank Cammuso is the Holy Grail of kids graphic novels! It's a wonderful tale about making friends, testing your limits, and overcoming challenges. The book is a retelling of King Arthur but with a twist that will make you laugh out loud. Kids will love it and adults will appreciate Cammuso's ingenious method of weaving modern day middle school with Arthurian legends.

A must for any child, even those reluctant readers. The storytelling is fast paced and the drawings are awesome!!!! If your kid enjoys adventure and humor, it's your quest to pick this up.

Pulling from King Arthur and Shakespeare, Knights of the Lunch Table is reference-heavy in title, plot, and dialog. The best part? Almost all of it simply serves to make a great story, no previous knowledge required. Although most of my King Arthur and Shakespeare expertise comes from episodes of Ducktales (this is a joke)(sort of), what I do know is that Knights of the Lunch Table is a well-executed, entertaining graphic novel for the upper-elementary/middle school crowd. It will find its way into the hands of students quickly and stay there.

Arthur (Artie) is a new student at Camelot Middle School. He's a pretty average kid, especially at sports. Camelot is mad about dodgeball - it's practically the official school game. Artie quickly makes a name for himself by opening the mysteriously unopenable locker 001XL. This catches the attention of the school bullies, a.k.a. the Horde, who are eager to keep their place as rulers of the school. To settle matters, Artie's friend Percy challenges the Horde to a winner take all dodgeball game. Only one problem remains: beating an undefeated team with a group of mediocre players.

The well-paced story and illustrations combine to give the book a nice flow that is easy to get into. The tension builds up to the climactic dodgeball showdown that will leave readers nothing less than pleased.

A graphic novel based on classic tales, yet is as hip and modern as you could ask for. Knights of the Lunch Table will be a quality addition to your graphic novel shelf and a series to keep your eye on.

My dad got these books from the library and I am so lucky that he did!
I recommend it for anyone who loves dodge ball, robot battles, and mysterious lockers!
I wish Frank Cammuso keeps on writing these books! They are just pure amazing!

Eric (8 yrs old)

It was hard getting my 7 year old 1st grader to read. I now assume it was because the first grade material was to simple for him. When he first picked this book out, I doubted he would be able to read it, or I thought he would lose interest. Three days later he had read the whole thing and was starting over! My son loves it, and I'm buying the second one for him now. Some people don't think "comic books" count as reading, but meh...the result is the same - he's practicing his reading, learning new words, and using his imagination. Plus he's excited about reading this book which fosters the love of reading. He also has now read the "Bone" graphic novels and loved them too, and is currently reading the "Bionicle" series of graphic novels. As far as "Knights of the Lunch Table", I suggest this book for any boy (or girl - my 11 year old daughter read it too!) =D

Looking for a colorful graphic novel for kids who are about to enter middle school? Give The Knights of the Lunch Table by Frank Cammuso a try!

Artie King really wanted to have a good first day at Camelot Middle School, but things went south quickly. He accidentally tripped the principal. He bumped into some bullies. Gulp. Luckily, he soon befriends two other boys, Percy and Wayne, and finds a mentor in the cool science teacher, Mr. Merlyn.

Though this series tips its hat to the Arthurian legends, it is not myth-heavy, so it's easy to recommend Knights of the Lunch Table to kids whether or not they like fantasy stories. Even if they aren't familiar with King Arthur, they will definitely be familiar with the social hierarchy of middle school as well as the simple delights (and pitfalls) of childhood and tweendom. There are the adults who guide the kids (Mr. Merlyn, of course, plus the school janitor) and there are the adults who scare the kids. In addition to the legendary advice, each book also has a healthy dose of competition: the first book has a dodgeball tournament; the second, a school fair; the third, an epic Battle of the Bands...and lots of Rock, Paper, Scissors!

Kudos to Cammuso for creating a diverse cast. The characters are different races, heights, weights, and body types. They have different temperaments, strengths, and skills. While reading the books, I very quickly and very easily assigned each character a different voice in my head, just as I always do - and were these graphic novels to make the jump to animated TV series or film, I'd be first in line to audition for the role/voice of Melody.

Here's a rundown of the series so far:
#1: The Dodgeball Chronicles
#2: The Dragon Players
#3: The Battling Bands

My son has devoured all 3 books in less than a week. He recommends them and cant wait for the next one to come out. They are a must read for Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Big Nate fans.

This series Knights of the Lunch Table, are interesting, funny and appealing for the 8 year old that they were given to as a gift. keeps him reading.thanks.

I am 7 years old and I loved this book! It was easy to read and I really liked when his sister put soap in his sandwich and the bully ate it. I think other kids should read this book.

Am I the right age for this series? Nope...but that doesn't mean I can't read a fantastic twist on the King Arthur legends. I love how this story progresses. We meet Artie King who is just starting at a new school, Camelot Middle School. And the first day he: makes two new friends, meets Mr. Merlyn, gets detention, offends both Principal Dagger (a mean woman) and the bully Joe Roman--leader of the Horde! Oh and he opens a locker that no one has ever been able to get open, that gives him just what he needs at the right time. It's an action packed first day, but it doesn't end there Artie most join up with his new friends to defeat the the Horde and Principal Dagger in a dodgeball match for the ages.

The story is funny, fast-paced, and full of action for readers young and old. The younger readers will enjoy seeing a kid that isn't the biggest or the best on the block, but still manages to come out on top by being true to himself. Older readers will enjoy this unique twist on the King Arthur legends and figuring out who the characters in this story match up with the legend. I also enjoyed the fact that each character, even the bullies, were pretty well developed and were a lot of fun to read about. The artwork is bright, colorful, and cheerful...even in the darkest moments of the tale (which mostly consisted of rescuing the "beast" from the sewer. One last thing to point out..the diversity of the cast.

The creators did a fantastic job with creating memorable characters and a great story. I look forward to reading future issues of this great series.