Jeffrey Strangeways

I love the drawings/illustrations throughout this book - they really make this story even more believable. Children from 8 to 11 should find this to be a great book.

Eleven year old Geoffrey Strangeways has a problem. He needs to find work to support himself and his widowed mother after she broke both her arms. His only ambition is to become a knight, a bit impractical when you're both small, clumsy and very poor. But when he gives directions to a friendly knight he finds himself embarked on an unlikely series of events which may give him his heart's desire. This is a very entertaining book in the tradition of the author's "Worst Witch" series, but with a boy as the leading character. My eight year old son read it in one sitting and wanted to know if there were any more books in the series. (Unfortunately I don't think there are at the moment, but this book BEGS for a sequel.) This is an excellent book for boys. It is probably a slightly easier read than the "Worst Witch", and could be read by children who are not yet old enough for "Harry Potter". If you haven't heard of the "Worst Witch" and your child is 7-10, get hold of a copy of this book (for a boy) or the "Worst Witch" (for a girl).