In sharp contrast to my last read, The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True by Gerald Morris is a snappy 118 pages. It does a surprising amount of stuff in that short space, too -- there's some stuff about courtesy, friendship, and promises, but the book doesn't feel too didactic, partly because Morris seasons it all with a liberal does of humor.
I read the first few books of this author's middle-grade series a few years ago, so the humor came as no surprise to me. While this book doesn't have as sophisticated a plot as The Squire's Tale and its sequels, it is just as distinguished in its way. I wouldn't necessarily recommend Sir Gawain to adult readers, but it's one that should definitely be on the radar of anyone who works with students in grades 2-4, since tales of knights and their adventures have enduring popularity.
(Reviewed from an advance copy sent to me by a friend. Erm . . . some time ago. I am not always as prompt as I would like to be about reading galleys!)
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