A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E.L. Konigsburg

A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver
by E.L. Konigsburg
Atheneum, 1973
201 pages
Children's historical fiction
Personal copy

Summary in a Sentence:

While waiting in heaven for divine judgment to be passed on her second husband, Eleanor of Aquitaine and three of the people who knew her well recall the events of her life.

My Thoughts:

Oh, E.L. Konigsburg, how could I ever expect anything less than delightful perfection from you? I don't know how I missed this one growing up, considering From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler was a favorite in elementary school. The cover for Proud Taste has since been updated to appeal to today's audience, but I just love the original cover art, so I included it in this review.

I love historical fiction, but I sometimes struggle to find books in the genre that I know kids will truly enjoy. Proud Taste is one of those books. Konigsburg sets up a clever premise in which impatient Eleanor is waiting in heaven for her husband, Henry II, to move 'up'. While waiting, the readers are told the story of Eleanor's life by three people who knew Eleanor while she was queen: Henry's mother, Abbot Suger (my favorite), and William the Marshal. Each person takes turns relating the life of Eleanor in such a way that the reader doesn't get bogged down while learning about Middle Ages France and England, which is indeed exactly what is going on! Rather than focusing on dates and events, the story is told with a focus on Eleanor's personality, which is quite different than that of most other women of the 12th century. Included in the book are ink drawings separating each of the narratives, along with a map.

~ I read this book for The Tournament of Reading Challenge  and the Four Month Challenge ~

You might also like:

• Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
• Beethoven Lives Upstairs by Barbara Nichol
• Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve

Here Lies Arthur
by Philip Reeve
Scholastic, Dec. 2008
320 pages
Fantasy/Legend
Library Copy

Awards & Honors:
2008 Carnegie Medal, 2008 Booklist Editors’ Choice: Books for Youth; 2008 School Library Journal Best Books, Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of 2008; 2009 ALA Best Books for Young Adults

Summary in a Sentence: 

Gwynna is forced to flee her village, but when she is discovered hiding in the woods by Myrddin, a bard, he swears to protect her as long as she agrees to bind herself to his service while he transforms young Arthur into a heroic king.

My Thoughts:

Countless retellings of the Arthurian legend abound in the literary world, and I know some of you are ready to leave this review behind before you finish it. Before you move on, let me tell you why this book is just a little different than all the rest and worth a second chance. First of all, thank you, Philip Reeve for not making this novel another over-romanticized, plotless tale of love. I've read quite enough of that sort, thank you very much.

Secondly, and most important, is Reeve's characterization of Arthur. If you are looking for a valiant and gallant myth of a man, do not come searching here. Arthur is a brute who is vying for power and dominance the only way he knows how- by looting nearby villages and taking whatever he wants and needs in order to attain more power. Myrddin, more commonly known as the bard Merlin, meets Gwynna, a servant girl,  and takes her under his wing. It is through Gwynna's eyes that we the readers witness the real story behind the legends of Arthur, from the Lady of the Lake to the sword in the stone to Guinevere.

This book is a refreshing revision on the Arthurian legend and will be enjoyed by all fans of historical fantasy as well as those curious about King Arthur.

~ This book counts toward the Four Month Challenge and the Tournament of Reading Challenge~

You might also like:

• The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White
• The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland
• Sword of the Rightful King by Jane Yolen
  

Other Reviews:

• Book Nut 
• Vulpes Libris 
• Confessions of a Bibliovore