Summary:
Will is growing up to be a lord. As the son of Lord Shackley, he is growing up fast to take over the land while his father is in the Crusades with King Richard. Unfortunately, with a plot to overthrow the king, Will's land has fallen. Now he is on the run and flees to Sherwood Forest becoming a member of the Merry Men. While Will's position as the son of a lord is no longer necessary, his knowledge of the castle becomes a good way to settle his place within the band of thieves. Along with this, he befriend Much. Much is a girl pretending to be a boy to fit in within this group. While Will has his suspicions, he does not tell Much's secrets, and Much does not tell Will's.
My thoughts:
While I enjoyed this book and think that teen readers 13 or so and older would also enjoy this book, the marketing seems to be a little off. While the writing may be simple, it is hard for me to see a younger reader making it through everything. The beginning starts off slow with all of the history necessary for the story to take place. While basic knowledge of the Robin Hood story is needed, it also goes through the historical aspects of England during that time period. We definitely find out a good amount of Will and his family's status within the first pages. This build up is necessary, but dry and slow. Once Will escapes into Sherwood Forest things pick up and the adventure story really takes off. Incorporating familiar characters with flaws we may not be witnessing from Robin's point of view, Will gives us insight into the band of thieves we all love. Along with the true friendship that develops between him and Much. I really love how you can find the friendship growing and it isn't instantly romantic. There is definitely something between Will and Much, but it doesn't have to be the love of their lives. I think it's important to remind young people that friendship between males and females don't have to be all about dating.
Will is growing up to be a lord. As the son of Lord Shackley, he is growing up fast to take over the land while his father is in the Crusades with King Richard. Unfortunately, with a plot to overthrow the king, Will's land has fallen. Now he is on the run and flees to Sherwood Forest becoming a member of the Merry Men. While Will's position as the son of a lord is no longer necessary, his knowledge of the castle becomes a good way to settle his place within the band of thieves. Along with this, he befriend Much. Much is a girl pretending to be a boy to fit in within this group. While Will has his suspicions, he does not tell Much's secrets, and Much does not tell Will's.
My thoughts:
While I enjoyed this book and think that teen readers 13 or so and older would also enjoy this book, the marketing seems to be a little off. While the writing may be simple, it is hard for me to see a younger reader making it through everything. The beginning starts off slow with all of the history necessary for the story to take place. While basic knowledge of the Robin Hood story is needed, it also goes through the historical aspects of England during that time period. We definitely find out a good amount of Will and his family's status within the first pages. This build up is necessary, but dry and slow. Once Will escapes into Sherwood Forest things pick up and the adventure story really takes off. Incorporating familiar characters with flaws we may not be witnessing from Robin's point of view, Will gives us insight into the band of thieves we all love. Along with the true friendship that develops between him and Much. I really love how you can find the friendship growing and it isn't instantly romantic. There is definitely something between Will and Much, but it doesn't have to be the love of their lives. I think it's important to remind young people that friendship between males and females don't have to be all about dating.
