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Summary
Summary
Henry Grim is a servant boy at the Midsummer School--until he passesthe elite Knightley Academy exam and suddenly finds himself one of the first commoners at the Academy, studying alongside the cleverest and bravest--and most arrogant--young aristocrats in the country. But someone is out to sabotage him from becoming a full-fledged Knight of the Realm, and soon Henry uncovers a conspiracy that violates the Hundred Years' Peace treaty--and could lead to war! Full of (bloodless) battles and nonstop action, this page-turner will captivate readers as they root for Henry to save his school and country from their enemies.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-Haberdasher introduces readers to an alternate history in which a treaty among the nations of the Britonian Isles has made combat training illegal at Knightley Academy. Though electricity is commonplace, horse-drawn carriages are far more frequently used than cars, and weapons technology remains at the level of swords and polearms. Servant boy Henry Grim is the first commoner to be admitted to the elite academy, which trains police, detectives, and other protectors of the public. Negotiating his way through his classes is the least of Henry's worries, however. Someone doesn't want commoners at Knightley and is working hard to sabotage Henry and two other misfits. Add a brewing tension in the Nordlands, and the political sphere of Henry's world becomes far larger than the orphan boy ever believed possible. Beginning with a self-conscious narrator in the style of J. M. Barrie or Lemony Snicket, the story progresses with the same kind of school-story mystery that worked so well in the "Harry Potter" novels. However, there is no magic here-just classical knightly studies and political commentary written on a level that even reluctant readers should find accessible. The characters, particularly Henry and his early nemesis, Valmont, are well drawn. Henry's outcast roommates and the unconventional daughter of the headmaster are also appealing. Clearly set up as the beginning of a series, the book should do well with some "Harry Potter" readers, but is unlikely to have the same widespread appeal.-Alana Joli Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Robyn Schneider (The Social Climber's Guide to High School), writing as the pseudonymous Haberdasher, delivers a cute novel that balances its simple plot with a solid lead character, witty dialogue, and a jaunty narrative voice. Henry Grim, a servant at the Midsummer School for Boys, is allowed to take the test to enter the prestigious Knightley Academy and becomes the first commoner to enter the austere school. Like the other groundbreaking commoners in his class-Adam, who's Jewish, and Rohan, who's Indian-he finds life among the elite daunting at first. However, his talent for languages and history, as well as the friendship of the headmaster's daughter, help him get by. There are the usual shenanigans involving mean classmates and teachers who appear to have hidden agendas, and the threat of war with the oppressive Nordlands looms as well. The nebulous historical setting and focus on military training and chivalry are a welcome change of pace from fictional academies that revolve around magic. If the story runs on a predictable path, Henry and his friends are lively and entertaining characters to follow. Ages 8-12. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Despite the fact that he is a lowly orphaned servant boy, Henry Grim makes it into Knightley Academy. He gathers an entertaining band of outcasts around him in order to survive knight-centered tests and hazing rituals. Turn-of-the-twentieth-century historical details add depth to this merry story of first-year blues. Copyright 2010 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Offering the comfort of familiarity, "Haberdasher" (aka Robyn Schneider) crafts an alternate-world boarding-school tale set in the loosely confederated Britonian Isles and featuring a trio of commoner lads admitted against all custom to the posh academy where Knights of the Realm are trained. Having met and bonded with each other and also with the obligatory spunky female sidekick (the Headmaster's willful daughter Frankie), orphanage-raised foundling Henry joins Adam, compulsively verbal scion of a clan of Jewish bankers, and Rohan Mehta, a dark-skinned adoptee raised in a refined ducal household, in sticking it out despite the sneers of classmates, anonymous threats and an underhanded campaign to get them expelled. Along with much discussion about defying both class expectations and blatantly sexist gender roles, the author sets her central characters up with an entertaining line of banter as they gradually learn that they're pawns in a broad intrigue in which seeming adversaries turn out to be allies and vice versa. With Henry's discovery that the neighboring Nordlands (think Scotland, with a Stalinist overlay) is secretly preparing for war, the author also crafts a continuing plotline for sequels to this pleasant if unambitious opener. (Fantasy. 11-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Henry Grim is an orphaned servant who studies in secret, hoping to rise above his station. He gets his chance when he is allowed to sit for the Knightley Academy entrance exam and becomes the first commoner admitted. This prestigious school once trained knights for combat, but combat was outlawed when the Longsword Treaty brought peace to the Britonian Isles. If Henry excels, Knightley could open its doors to commoners for good, but vicious sabotage threatens his triumph. On the hunt to identify his saboteurs, Henry discovers a plot to break the treaty and start a war. Haberdasher embraces the Harry Potter comparison with in-jokes, but this series debut doesn't rise above the comparison. Knightley Academy has disappointingly little to do with actual knights-in-training; it is more like an elite boarding school, and what knights do in this alternate history is unclear. Yet Henry and his outcast friends are an appealing group with great chemistry, and it's easy to enjoy their fast-paced adventures as they navigate classes and thwart bullies.--Hutley, Krista Copyright 2010 Booklist