Elizabeth Winthrop published the first book in 1985, and the second in 1993. As much as I loved the first book it’s the second book that made me fall completely in love with the characters. But knights and castles is just the tip of the iceberg with these books.
Our hero is an 11 year old boy named William who is pretty great at gymnastics. He gets dragged into a world of evil magicians and plots to save a world he didn’t know existed. William’s gymnastics skills help him more than once and he becomes good friends with the little knight whose kingdom is in danger.
By book two, things get a bit darker. The knight may have taken back his kingdom but a ship full of bones threatens them all. And this is why I liked the second book so much more than the first, it’s so much darker. It’s not the bones that are the problem, it’s what turned the ship full of people into the pile of bones. Bit not good and a whole lot of creepy.
I loved the fantasy world inside the castle throughout both books, the strange magic system, and the awesome characters. I think the other reason I like the second book so much better is all the extra time we spend in the fantasy world rather than in the real one. I’m a sucker for a good fantasy world.
I loved these books so much that I made sure to keep copies of both on my shelves to this day and have probably listened to the audiobooks at least a dozen times. If you have kids, these books would be great additions to their collections.
Do you remember these books? Share your memories in the comments.
Keep Reading!
I have never heard of these before! Probably has something to do with the fact I was born in '92. Though they look like something I would have read growing up and while no kids of my own, if I can find them, then my nieces' collection is going to grow even more. Hoping to turn one of them into a book lover.
Oh hey, we're the same age! I only found them because of school. I'm sure your nieces would love them. I still enjoy reading them, after all.
Oh my goodness, these were some of my favorite books to read when I was younger! I read them every summer for years – my parents divorced when I was 8, and lived on opposite coasts. I had my own books at each house, and these books were at the house where I spent my summers. I just set my copies aside to share with my friend's little girl, and I hope she loves them as much as you and I do.
They're so good and they totally hold up. I'm glad you liked them as much as I do. Most people I talk to only know of the first one.