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JMI, April 8, 2007 (view all comments by JMI)
The book I read was the Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland,
The book is a good page turner and has 400 pages and 100 chapters but it’s a quick read because most chapters are only two-four pages. In this book a young Arthur is living with his parents and his sisters and brothers and Merlin who is very mysterious.
One day Arthur is talking with Merlin when Merlin gives him a seeing stone.
Though out the book Arthur learns that the stone can tell him about many things from the past and future. Serle Arthur’s older brother is a squire training to be a knight Arthur tries to get his father to put him into service but will not talk to Arthur about that and Serle tells Arthur that their father doesn’t want Arthur to be a knight.
Arthur eventuly sees himself in the stone as a king.
So if you want a quick middle ages book with a little action you should read the Seeing Stone.

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andrew dalke, April 7, 2007 (view all comments by andrew dalke)
In my opinion the book The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland is a slightly above average book. In the beginning it is very dull and confusing but after about 50 pages or so it starts to pick up but it still is a little confusing at times. Arthur de Caldicot is a thirteen year old in 1199 in medieval Europe who lives on a manor, longing to serve as a squire and then to become a knight. The only problem is his father, the lord of the manor, who is reluctant to send him away. One day he receives a piece of obsidian from his father’s friend, Merlin. This stone is special, though. It’s a seeing stone and it shows the story of a king and his son, who is given away at birth to a mysterious hooded man. While Arthur struggles with his life and his many worries, like to whom he will be betrothed and if he will ever become a knight, the story in the stone unfolds, showing eerie similarities to Arthur’s family and his life. As both stories progress the suspense gets deeper and are full of twists and surprises.
The main reason I say it is slightly above average is because the beginning is very tedious and confusing which brings the book down a lot and then the middle section is only mediocre. The character development isn’t very strong and you don’t really get to know the other characters or what they look like except for Arthur. The highlight of the book is the ending when the twists and turns occur and the two stories start to intertwine. It is when I finally found the book interesting and it made up for the other flaws in the book. The conclusion of the book leaves you hanging and wanting to find out what happens next.
The book’s historical accuracy is good except for certain parts. It tells of all the children that have died in the family, which is accurate for those times, and it captures the daily life of a noble very well. It also describes the lives of serfs accurately. It falters in places, though. It says that they all have beds, which were very rare in those days and only affordable for kings or extremely wealthy lords. It also has the punishment of having an arm amputated for stealing a leg of lamb, which wouldn’t be a very accurate form of punishment.
Overall this book is excellent at the end and worth reading if you can put up with some boring sections.

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samreidizzle, April 5, 2007 (view all comments by samreidizzle)
I thought The Seeing Stone, by Kevin Crossley-Holland, was a mediocre book. Although it lacks suspense and can be a little confusing during the beginning, you must keep reading to find the never-ending drama that awaits in the ending. The Seeing Stone occurs during the middle ages and is told from the point of view of Arthur Caldecot, a thirteen year old questioning his own future. His yard work and sword play aren't the best and he is thinking that if he is not good enough at his jobs, then he will not be a sguire in training to be a knight. He is very nervous and can't stop thinking about who he will be
betrothed to.
One reason why I think this book is just mediocre is because after reading dozens of pages, the book still fails to catch the readers attention. As I continued to read it, the suspense in the end finally caught my attention. Another reason that I didn't think greatly of
this book is that the character development failed to really let the reader know the characters.
Most of the Caldecot's daily life was historically accurate except for a few parts. I noticed that the author mentioned the family sleeping in beds. A knight in the middle ages would never sleep on a bed, but on
layers of bushes and grass.
All in all I have considered the book to be interesting but not engaging. I thought the concept was great but the characters were boring.

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Product Details

ISBN:

9780439263276

Author:

Crossley-Holland, Kevin

Publisher:

Scholastic Paperbacks

Author:

Crossley-Holland, Kevin

Location:

New York

Subject:

General

Subject:

Great britain

Subject:

History

Subject:

Legends, Myths, & Fables - General

Subject:

Magic

Subject:

Middle ages

Subject:

Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Historical

Subject:

Identity

Subject:

Legends, Myths, & Fables - Arthurian

Subject:

General Juvenile Fiction

Copyright:

2000

Edition Number:

1st American ed.

Edition Description:

Paperback

Series:

Arthur Trilogy: Book One

Series Volume:

01

Publication Date:

September 2002

Binding:

Paperback

Grade Level:

- Up

Language:

English

Pages:

368

Dimensions:

7.54x5.30x.89 in. .52 lbs.

Age Level:

09-12