Adam of the Road (Newbery Library, Puffin) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Robert Lawson (Illustrator) "AFTER a May as gray and cold as December, June came in, that year of 1294, sunny and warm and full of birds and blossoms..." (more)
Key Phrases: red spaniel, robber knight, Daun William, Sir Adam, Dame Malkin (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The adventures of eleven-year-old Adam as he travels the open roads of thirteenth-century England searching for his missing father, a minstrel, and his stolen red spaniel, Nick.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (November 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014032464X
• ISBN-13: 978-0140324648
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #421,102 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A man of means by no means. King of the road., June 1, 2004

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Adam of the Road" is daunting, no question. Kids who have no difficulties lugging huge Harry Potter sized tomes might quaver a little at the 317 page density of this 1943 Newbery winner. If they go so far as to actually begin to read the book, however, they might be pleasantly surprised to find it not only readable, but enjoyable to boot. On its most basic level the book is a tale about a boy, his father, and his dog. Beyond that, however, the book quickly becomes a quest novel where our hero picks up friends and foes along his path. In the end, a richly satisfying creation.

Our tale begins in June of 1294 in a little English abbey named St. Alban's. Here, our hero Adam has been left by his father, Roger the minstrel. Adam anticipates Roger's return (he never refers to his father by anything but the man's name, interestingly) any day. In the meantime, he has his friend and fellow student Perkin and his cocker spaniel Nick to keep him company. With an appropriate amount of pomp and flair, return Roger does. With his pop now a minstrel for a fine Lord, Adam is whisked away from the Abbey to join his father on the road. They adventure hither and yon, charming some people and amusing others. After some unfortunate run-ins with a less than chivalrous fellow minstrel named Jankin, Adam finds his dog stolen. So eager is Adam to get Nick back that in the course of his pursuit of Jankin he also loses his father. Thus, an eleven year-old boy must face a cold world with just his harp and minstrel skills to earn him food and shelter as he continually seeks his dad and dog.

As I read this story, a lingering memory began to form in my mind. Middle ages England... Minstrel & jesting skills... A boy and his father (or father-figure)... By George this is a remarkably similar plot to the 2003 Newbery award winning book, "Crispin: The Cross of Lead"! Certainly there are vast differences between the two as well, but people who wish to tie "Crispin" to another text would do very well indeed to consider the worthy "Adam of the Road". Now "Crispin" is a very socially conscious novel, pondering the fate of the poor and their servitude to the rich. "Adam of the Road", much to my surprise, was also fairly socially conscious (considering its publication date). Here the gentle reader may find complaints that the members of Parliament are all of noble birth and decide the rights of the people without asking for input from those they have (virtually) enslaved. There is a healthy amount of skepticism and careful examination of the religious leaders that have such a powerful hold over their communities. And most impressive of all was a section in which Adam seriously considers the double standard to which women were held at that time. In this scene, Adam has been informed that ladies may not chose their mates according to their hearts as the romantic ballads have said. The book says:

"The tales Roger told were full of the reverence and devotion that knghts paid to fair ladies and the desperate dangers they met gladly in order to win a smile from the ladies or a favor to wear on their sleeves. But in real life, it seemed, a beautiful young lady like Emilie was only a girl and it did not matter what she wanted because she had to do what she was told. It was very strange-".

Not only unromantic, but a hardship on the women themselves. Nothing like a little knowledgable reasoning within a children's book, eh?

There's plenty of rip-roaring adventures in this book, as well as amusing games that boys at that time liked to play. I'll admit right now that I was shocked to enjoy this book. When you've slogged through such Newbery winners as the tedious "Dobry", the mildly offensive "White Stag" or the incredibly racist "Daniel Boone", an actual honest-to-goodness fun book like this takes you completely by surprise. And did I mention the illustrations by Robert Lawson? You may remember this talented artist from such books as "The Story of Ferdinand", "They Were Strong and Good", and "Mr. Poppin's Penguins". If you've never seen a Lawson illustration, this book would be a wonderful place to start. Riddling the tale with entrancing pictures and illustrations I really feel that Lawson is the extra nudge that pushes "Adam of the Road" from midly amusing to downright fun. The book looks daunting, but definitely pick it up. I garuntee to you that it exceeds all expectations with great ease and accomplishment.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Sleeper" from the past, February 11, 2000

By A Customer

In the wake of "Harry Potter" mania, I selected Adam of The Road to read to my second and third grade class. The book starts out slowly, there are lots of long descriptive passages of the natural world. The basic story though, is enchanting. Following young Adam Quartemayne through his adventures in the late 1200's is extremely interesting and entertaining. The children were hooked! They begged for more at the end of each chapter and retold the story at home to their parents. They started drawing their own additional illustrations and now want to adapt the book for a class play. Let me also mention these were children without any real background in English or medeival history. It was a crowd pleaser.

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 1943 Newbery Medal ; interesting tale of medieval England, January 10, 2001

By	"laa-laa" (smalltown, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adam of the Road (Hardcover)

So many of today's children know little of true hardship and deprivation. It's good to let them read about what life was like when one traveled on horseback or on foot rather than by wagon or car, when one used candles rather than electric lights, and when one was warmed by a campfire or fire in a hearth rather than by central heat. The detail provided in "Adam of the Road" about the way that young Adam supported himself on a daily basis makes history come alive for the reader. Adam's existence was hand-to-mouth, gritty, and portrayed quite realistically.

SYNOPSIS: Adam Quartermayne, a minstrel's son, travels all over southern England from June, 1294 to April, 1295, first accompanying his father, Roger, and then in search of his dog Nick--and then in search of his father. In the process Adam grows up and becomes more resourceful and self-reliant. Both Roger and his son are honest and believe in working to earn their keep. Adam learns the hard way that most others of the traveling-minstrel profession are unscrupulous. A minstrel named Jankin gambles with Roger and wins Bayard, a retired workhorse, from Roger. When Jankin abuses the animal and makes it lame, he steals Adam's beloved red spaniel for the dog's companionship and for the tricks the dog can perform.

IMPRESSIONS: "Adam of the Road" can certainly serve to teach many positive messages to young readers. Adam's perseverence in the face of discouragement, his courage and positive attitude in the face of failure and disappointment, and his ability to adapt to change are wonderful values that it's important for children to learn to recognize and incorporate into their own characters.