Magic Tree House #2

Ever since we started reading The Magic Tree House series (sadly out of order), my kids have been sleeping with the books, trying to anticipate what adventures await them. They can both read, but I think they still feel intimidated by the sheer number of words in these chapter books. I hope their aversion to such books soon changes to attraction, but I’m patient enough to wait.

This past year, we’ve been able to read a few books set in the Middle Ages—books like The Sword in the Tree and King Arthur—so the kids had a rough foundation built for what to expect from The Knight at Dawn. I’ve got to admit, the twists and turns this little tale takes are unexpected, and Mary Pope Osborne does well to get her young characters into the thick of things quickly and without following any predictable plot-lines. I enjoyed reading it, and I know my kids enjoyed hearing it.

One little thing, though, is when Jack muttered, “I’m going to kill her” about his sister on page 24. I couldn’t bring myself to read that to my kids, and I wouldn’t be too keen on letting them read it themselves, at least not at ages 6 and 7. The blatancy of the words—even if spoken in, well, I’m not even sure what sense—aren’t easily grasped by children who are raised by parents that don’t let them play violent video games and watch TV shows where life is of little consequence. I don’t want my kids disrespecting each other by calling each other “Stupid”, let alone getting into the habit of fake-threatening to take each others’ lives. I would expect someone writing children’s books to bear the responsibility of protecting kids from such issues, not encourage or even teach it. Random House at least should have caught it.

Other than that line—which was easily avoided as I read—we really did enjoy this adventure and how it pushed their imaginative world along. I know my kids can’t wait for the next installment.

©2018 E.T.