The Squire's Tale [Mass Market Paperback]

Gerald Morris (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Life for the young orphan Terence has been peaceful, living with Trevecent the old Hermit in a quiet, isolated wood. That is, until the day a strange green sprite leads him to Gawain, King Arthur's nephew, who is on his way to Camelot hoping to be knighted. Trevecent can see the future and knows that Terence must leave to serve as Gawain's squire. From that moment on, Terence's life is filled with heartstopping adventure as he helps damsels-in-distress, fights battles with devious men, and protects King Arthur from his many enemies. Along the way, Terence is amazed at his skills and newfound magical abilities. Were these a gift from his unknown parents?

As Gawain continues his quest for knighthood, Terence searches for answers to the riddles in his own past.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Sir Gawain and his companions exhibit emotional sensitivity and a goofy sensibility in this medieval comedy that refreshes gender roles. This Arthurian adventure is all heart--and humor," said PW. Ages 12-up. (Jan.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9-Terence, the squire in question, is not Chaucer's but a 14 year old of unknown parentage in Arthur's England, raised in the woods by a wizard who can see the future clearly but is foggy about the past. Gawain, not yet of the Round Table, comes across the boy and, needing a squire, takes him along. The story then follows the nobleman through Terence's eyes. New adventures weave through the familiar, threaded on the story of the loathly damsel, here called the "ugly woman," one of the strongest of the Gawain legends. The entertaining action moves rapidly through encounters with fools and villains to Gawain earning knighthood and the love of a smart and worthy woman. His squire, who has recurring visions and contact with an interesting shape-changer, eventually learns the mystery of his own birth and his destiny. Overall, this is a good story, well told, both original and true to the legend of Gawain, counteracting his lesser position in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. Readers who savor swashbuckling tales of knighthood will enjoy this adventure. Librarians will find a great choice of comic and breathtaking quests for booktalks.
Helen Gregory, Grosse Pointe Public Library, MI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (January 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440228239
• ISBN-13: 978-0440228233
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #953,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gerald Morris grew up in Singapore, where his parents were Baptist missionaries. Singapore was a great, safe place to grow up, and he remembers that time with fond nostalgia. (Ditto for being Baptist, actually.) Since reaching adulthood, he has worked as a minister, a religion professor, a landscaper, and a teacher, all to support his predilection for writing children's novels. Or maybe the writing income supports his ministry habit.

He now lives in Wausau, Wisconsin with his wife and three kids. (Okay, one's at college and another's about to go.) There he serves as associate pastor at the First United Methodist Church, writes children's and YA novels (mostly about King Arthur), and still occasionally scapes land.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT BOOK! I "MUST READ"(NOTICE THE CAPS), March 18, 2001

By 

~*Michele*~ (PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Squire's Tale (Mass Market Paperback)

I was browsing the "stacks" one day when I came across this book. Being the "judger of covers" as I am, I picked up, thinking,"Hey, it's pretty, I'll give it a go." I thought it would be ya know, the usual, every day, semi amusing book.(I mean, there's only a knight sitting backwards on a horse, totally cleche).

Now that I've read this book, i deserve to be slapped. The Squire's Tale is now my favorite book. Every time I went to the library, I found myself searching for a sequel! And there you go! There is now three books written by this author, set in the authorian times.

It's about a fourteen year old boy named Terence. He "coincidentally" met the great Sir Gawain. Terence finds out later that he is destined to be the great knight's squire.

So the two set out to Camelot, where the whole adventure begins.

For anyone searching for a fun-filled(sorry, had to say it...I'm sorry...)book, full of knights,magic,comedy and adventure...HORRAY! you've found it! This is one of the BEST books I've ever read. Hope you like it too! ;)

~*MicheeDee*~

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very fun read!, June 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Squire's Tale (Mass Market Paperback)

Gerald Morris' writing does not have the depth and description of many books, but I do love the story and the characters, especially Terence. The story has a slight mystery to it: who is Terence really? It is adventurous and set in the time of King Arthur, in fact Arthur is a part of this story as is Merlin and the greatest knight of all: Sir Gawain. As the story goes, Terence becomes Gawain's squire and later Gawain becomes a knight of the round table. It very quickly becomes apparent that Terence has faery blood in him, and he makes an excellent squire for the good knight Gawain, as they both go questing and encounter several adventures. And eventually, Terence does find out who he really is. "The Squire" has its bit of humor and is a book worth reading, very fun and charming.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To become a knight, May 30, 2001

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Squire's Tale (Mass Market Paperback)

Here there be humor! Unlike the humorless, preachy Arthuriana that usually gets ground out these days, Gerald Morris produces lighthearted, humorous little stories about quirky knights and sensible young squires. "The Squire's Tale" is a charming little fantasy story based on an old Arthurian legend, with plenty of wit and adventure to go around.

Terence lives with a rather befuddled out hermit in the woods... until the day he encounters a young Irish knight named Gawan, whom the hermit says will soon have Terence as a squire (the hermit can see the future, but only dimly knows of the past). When arrogant Sir Hautubris arrives and threatens the three, Gawain fends him off with a stewpot - and soon ends up going to his uncle's castle, Camelot, with his new squire.

Shortly thereafter, at a banquet, a white hound and hart (deer) go bounding through, followed by the most hideous woman anyone there has ever seen. Somehow she manages to get Sir Tor, Sir Gawain and Terence to go a-hunting for the hound and hart. They meet knights and ladies, dwarves and enchanters -- most of whom are one bean short of a pound -- and eventually bump into the Seelie Court...

The book is based heavily on a traditional Arthurian story, "Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady." But Gerald Morris avoids the excessively "realistic" approaches of most Arthurian fiction -- instead he goes back to the medieval Anglo setting of the old Malory retellings, and mixes them together with some faerie stuff and plenty of humor.

Morris has a light, smooth humorous style with plenty of hilarious moments (Gawain beating up Hautabris with the stewpot!), but also some eerie moments and a very odd romance. If there's a flaw, it's that his writing style hasn't fully flowered, but there's plenty of potential and some very evocative moments in there as well.

Terence is a thoroughly likable protagonist -- smart, funny, intelligent and a great foil for Gawain, a sexy wry knight (whom I visualize as looking like a young Liam Neeson) who is treated far better here than in many traditional stories. Sir Tor is also a likable guy, being a field-hand who dreams of becoming a knight -- and while Queen Guinevere is a twit, Morris gives a loveable human edge to old favorites like King Arthur himself and Merlin.

"Squire's Tale" deftly mingled Malory's Arthurian tales with a fun, quirky sensibility and some likable, fully-fleshed characters. A fun, endearing little story.