Laveidem by Jennifer McFann, Inc. Scholastic (Manufactured by)

From the Publisher

When Jason throws a rock at the pompous Lord Bugle's head, he's sentenced to an urgent mission for an excessively lovely princess. If he delivers her secret message, maybe he can win her favor and set himself up for life.

There are only about ten thousand things in his way. First and foremost, there is his priggish traveling companion, Chris (who is-let's give it away-secretly a gnome). And there are also the un-small matters of the poisoned omelet, the prophetic desert mirage, the river of fiery combustion, and, of course, Dr. Troll. Not to mention a rather big dragon with a sizable grudge.

Sometimes it isn't very pleasant being a peasant.

Tina Dybvik - Children's Literature

McFann cooks up an anachronistic feast in this medieval story about class and race. The two young adventurers, Jason and Chris, live a legendary past among present day idioms. Jason is a peasant unexpectedly elevated to noble service. Chris is a noble who hides his true parentage because his mother is a gnome. Both boys want the favor of a beautiful princess, and Jason's overconfidence is hilariously foiled with Chris's insecurity. Time and place are slippery in this tale which includes effective pauses to describe an accompanying "soundtrack." Vocabulary is also challenging with "chicken zygotes" and "nominative fingers" in place of more familiar phrases. In a world outside time, the walking dead wear stiletto heels and dragons are an endangered species. For more literal readers, McFann gently explains her joke in the middle of chapter two. At that point, it is clear she serves a unique muse so consistently wrong that it's right. 2004, Scholastic, Ages 9 to 12.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-Starting with the wordplay of the title ("medieval" spelled backwards), this novel turns the conventions of fantasy upside down. There's a lord who executes most of his staff, an 80-year-old princess in distress, and a gnome with career aspirations, among other odd characters. The chaotic plot follows a peasant named Jason through a series of misadventures involving dragons, trolls, and prophetic messages, all of which play against their traditional fantasy roles. The narrative voice is irreverent and modern, and sometimes quite funny. Jason and his gnomish companion also use current expressions, which contrasts amusingly to the intentionally overblown courtly language of other characters. Potential scenes of excitement, such as a dragon battle, are all played for laughs. Sometimes the humor wears thin, though, and there's not much else to keep readers' interest. Though he has plenty of adventures, Jason himself is rather unexceptional, and the friendship that develops between him and the gnome is not particularly convincing or involving. There is some effort to point out the inequities of medieval society, but even when Jason and his friend become powerful and beneficent kings, the conclusion seems more of a setup for jokes than any sincere statement. The playful narrative voice and occasional well-conceived comic moments will elicit some smiles, but the lack of cohesion and consistency may cause some readers to lose interest.-Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

• ISBN: 0641691920
  
• ISBN-13: 9780641691928
• Format: Hardcover, 189pp
• Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
• Pub. Date: September 2004
• Edition Description: Bargain
• Age Range: 9 to 12