Knights, Dragons, Damsels, and Wizards : Medieval & Fantasy Books For Children

If you have a son (or daughter!) who's fascinated with dragons, medieval knights, wizards, swords, castles, and heroic deeds, I can't recommend any book more highly than Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges.  Adapted from Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queen, this book truly puts the "literature" in children's literature.  The story is gripping and the battles between the Knight and the dragon will have kids on the edge of their seats.  Trina Schart Hyman's Caldecott Award-winning illustrations will keep younger children engaged through the somewhat lengthy tale (my four-year-old has no trouble listening to the whole thing).  Parents should be aware that the battle scenes are drawn in detail, with the dragon occasionally spurting blood from the stump of a recently lopped-off tail or paw.  Overall, this is one of the best purchases I ever made for our home library and we read it more often than any other book in our collection.


The Making of a Knight by Patrick O'Brien tells the story of young James, as he goes from a 7-year-old page to a 14-year-old squire, and finally to a 21-year-old knight.  The story is well-illustrated and well-researched, providing lots and lots of accurate information about the life and times of a medieval knight.


The stunning cover art of Merlin and the Dragons by Jane Yolen is just a tiny sampling of the book's amazing oil-painted illustrations.  A story within a story, the book begins when young King Arthur wakes one night after having troubling dreams, and seeks out the old wizard Merlin for comfort.  Merlin tells Arthur a story about another fatherless young boy named Emrys, who long ago harnessed the power of his own prophetic dreams to save his life from the evil Vortigern.  This exciting, fast-paced story includes a battle between two dragons, and finally culminates in Arthur learning the truth about his destiny. I bought this book based on Li Ming's artwork alone, and was delighted to find that it was a terrific story as well.  Perfect for children fascinated by magic, dragons, and Arthurian legend.


Another beautifully illustrated Arthurian tale is The Kitchen Knight, by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hymen.  Hodges retells the first part of "The Tale of Sir Gareth of Orkney", from Le Morte D'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory.  This is the story of Gareth (the younger brother of Gawain, though this isn't mentioned in the book), who endeavors to earn his knighthood through merit and achievement alone and not due to his kingship to his uncle King Arthur.  For this reason he hides his true identity and serves as a kitchen boy for King Arthur for a year.  When a young woman shows up looking for a champion to defeat the evil Red Knight who holds her sister captive, Gareth volunteers.  As they journey to confront the Red Knight, Gareth fights many exciting battles against various challengers, and always treats the Lady with courtesy despite her constant insults.  The story culminates in the defeat of the Red Knight, a stolen dwarf, and Sir Gareth finally winning the heart of the Lady's captive sister.  I read this book aloud to my boys today and my husband ended up staying nearby to hear the whole thing!


Merlin and the Making of the King by Margaret Hodges is best for somewhat older children due to it's length. It's a beautiful retelling of four Arthurian legends, "The Sword in the Stone", "Excalibur", "The Lady of the Lake" and "The Last Great Battle", with Trina Schart Hyman's beautiful illustrations throughout.  Each tale is streamlined enough to be read aloud, and the vocabulary is simple enough for young children.  Highly recommended!