The Squire's Tale

The Squire's Tale
Author: Gerald Morris
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2008-04-28
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0547348762

First in the medieval fantasy series set in Camelot. “This Arthurian adventure is all heart—and humor.”—Publishers Weekly Growing up an orphan in an isolated cottage in the woods, young Terence never expected much adventure. But upon the arrival of Gawain, his life takes a surprising turn. Gawain is destined to become one of the most famous knights of the Round Table. Terence becomes Gawain’s squire and leaves his secluded life for one of adventure in King Arthur’s court. In no time Terence is plunged into the exciting world of kings, wizards, knights, wars, magic spells, dwarfs, damsels in distress, and enchanters. As he adjusts to his new life, he proves to be not only an able squire but also a keen observer of the absurdities around him. His duties take him on a quest with Gawain and on a journey of his own, to solve the mystery of his parentage. Filled with rapier-sharp wit, jousting jocularity, and chuckleheaded knights, this is King Arthur’s court as never before experienced. “The author leaves some tantalizing questions, and the tale is filled with knightly derring-do.”—The Horn Book “Well-drawn characters, excellent, snappy dialogue, detailed descriptions of medieval life, and a dry wit put a new spin on this engaging tale.”—Booklist “If your readers are looking for some notable swashing and buckling with a little chivalrous slapstick thrown in, this retelling of Arthurian legend is the book for you.”—The Bulletin “There are plenty of sword fights and flashes of sorcery to delight readers, while the plot moves at a swift clip.”—Kirkus Reviews

Squire Terence and the Maiden's Knight

Squire Terence and the Maiden's Knight
Author: Gerald Morris
Publisher:
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2006
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN:

Growing up an orphan in an isolated cottage in the woods, young Terence never expected much adventure. But when he meets Gawain, his life takes a surprising turn. Gawain is destined to become one of the most famous knights of the Round Table. Terence becomes Gawain's squire and leaves his secluded life for one of adventure in King Arthur's court. In no time Terence is plunged into the exciting world of kings, wizards, knights, wars, magic spells, dwarfs, damsels-indistress, and enchanters. As he adjusts to his new life, he proves to be not only an able squire but also a keen observer of the absurdities around him. His duties take him on a quest with Gawain and on a journey of his own, to solve the mystery of his parentage. Filled with rapier-sharp wit and jousting jocularity, this is King Arthur's court as never before experienced.

The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady

The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady
Author: Gerald Morris
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 244
Release: 1999
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0547014384

After several years at King Arthur's court, Terence, as Sir Gawain's squire and friend, accompanies him on a perilous quest that tests all their skills and whose successful completion could mean certain death for Gawain.

The Legend of the King

The Legend of the King
Author: Gerald Morris
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2010-09-13
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0547504853

“Gracefully interweav[es] Arthurian legend, realistic and magical elements, humor, and heartbreak . . . an engrossing conclusion to a notable series.” —Booklist In this final installment of the Squire’s Tale series, Terence and his fellow Knights of the Round Table must come together in a last stand to save Camelot. The characters Gerald Morris has brought to life throughout his series—Terence and Gawain, Lynet and Gaheris, Luneta and Rhience, Dinadan and Palomides—each have an important role to play in this climactic final conflict. Maintaining their faith, selflessness, and honor, Arthur’s court bands together to try to defeat Morgause and Mordred and banish the dark magic from England forever. “Morris pulls off a spectacular conclusion to his humane and witty Squire’s Tales series as destructive intrigues both provide a backdrop for a fan-pleasing reunion of favorite figures from past episodes and lead up to the final battle between Arthur and his brilliant, hideously warped son Mordred . . . Well done.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “The knights’ simplicity, honor, and kitchen-table philosophizing will continue to entrance readers, straight through to the end of this thrilling, elegiac, hope-from-the-ashes saga.” —The Horn Book (starred review) “In this final title in the series, Morris once again makes the adventure, excitement, and magic of King Arthur and his court accessible to every reader . . . An excellent end to a worthwhile and well-written series that can be recommended to reluctant and skilled readers alike.” —School Library Journal

The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf

The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf
Author: Gerald Morris
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 227
Release: 2008-04-28
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0547349394

Third in the medieval fantasy series. “A perfectly delicious, not entirely serious, reimagining of part of Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur.”—Booklist Her castle under siege by an evil knight who keeps beheading all her would-be rescuers, Lady Lynet realizes the only way to get help is to get it herself. So one night she slips away and strikes out for King Arthur’s court where she hopes to find a gallant knight to vanquish the Knight of the Red Lands and free her castle. Gerald Morris’s Arthurian novel is a highly comic tale of hidden identities, mysterious knights, faeries and enchantments, damsels-in-distress, and true love. “In Morris’s third wry, sometimes hilarious, take on an Arthurian legend, a sharp-tongued young damosel gets an education in sorcery, intrigue and what true knighthood is all about . . . Fans of Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted, Patricia Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles and similarly lighthearted fantasy will be delighted.”—Kirkus Reviews “A rollicking treatment of a lesser-known episode from Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur . . . The novel is also enjoyable for its good-natured spoofing of the conventions of its medieval setting.”—School Library Journal “A rare action-fantasy that crosses age and gender lines.”—The Bulletin

The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight

The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight
Author: Gerald Morris
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 323
Release: 2008-10-06
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0547349904

“Grand storytelling style . . . Readers looking for page-turning adventure, a strong heroine, and some fun will find it all here.” —School Library Journal Ever since that tragic night when her mother and guardian were murdered, thirteen-year-old Sarah has been living on her own and searching for the knight who was responsible. Her quest for revenge leads to an even greater adventure when she witnesses Queen Guinevere being kidnapped. Soon Sarah finds herself accompanying Sir Gawain and Squire Terence on a remarkable journey to rescue the Queen. In their travels they meet, among others, a mystery knight traveling incognito in a dung cart, a faery who becomes Sarah’s first friend in a long time, a reclusive monk who plans to spend the rest of his life building a tomb for Sir Lancelot, and a princess who might have a little more gumption than she appears to. As the plot thickens, Sarah finds out more about the people she’s met and befriended, as well as about herself. She begins to learn the true consequences of vengeance and what it really means to be a princess. “Morris reshapes traditional plot elements, infuses them with humor and fantasy, and creates a highly readable story . . . The novel is driven by a keen sense of justice and lightened by droll wit. A terrific cast of characters energizes the story, which plays out against a colorful, well-developed historical background.” —Booklist “Another humorous and suspenseful tale of knightly intrigue.” —Publishers Weekly

The Ballad of Sir Dinadan

The Ballad of Sir Dinadan
Author: Gerald Morris
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 259
Release: 2008-10-06
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 054734984X

The author of Parsifal’s Page “interweaves action with sophisticated, wry humor and deft characterization to bring to life yet another medieval tale” (VOYA). Young Dinadan has no wish to joust or quest or save damsels in distress or do any of the knightly things expected of him. He’d rather be a minstrel, playing his rebec and writing ballads. But he was born to be a knight, and knights, of course, have adventures. So after his father forces his knighthood upon him, he wanders toward King Arthur’s court, in the company of a misguided young Welsh lad named Culloch. There Dinadan meets Sir Kai and Sir Bedivere, and the three find themselves accompanying Culloch on the worst sort of quest. Along the way, Dinadan writes his own ballads, singing of honor, bravery, loyalty, and courtly love—and becomes a player in the pathetic love story of Tristram and Iseult. He meets the Moorish knight Palomides, the clever but often exasperating Lady Brangienne, and an elvin musician named Sylvanus, along with an unusual collection of recreant knights and dimwitted defenders of chivalry. He learns that while minstrels sing of spectacular heroic deeds, honor is often found in simpler, quieter ways. “The humor ranges from subtle irony to scenes of pure comedy . . . a lighthearted introduction to the period.” —School Library Journal (starred review) “Morris creates in Dinadan one of his most appealing protagonists. Written in accessible prose and laced with occasional magic, the novel moves at a quick pace and showcases a continually maturing hero.” —The Horn Book “A witty tale of adventure and reflection.” —Booklist

The Squire's Quest

The Squire's Quest
Author: Gerald Morris
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2009-09-28
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0547414994

Why is it, Terence wondered, that the things you know most surely are always the things you can’t demonstrate to any one else? And why is it, after all of these years, that Terence is still just a squire, offering advice on how best to scrub the rust spots from armor? But Squire Terence has more to worry about than his place on the social scale. For all the peace and prosperity that has made England famous across Europe, Terence is uneasy. After nearly six months without contact with the World of the Faeries – not even from his old friend, the mischievous sprite Robin – Terence is sure something is rotten in King Arthur's court.