befus's Full Review: Clyde Robert Bulla - Sword in the Tree
Shan is a happy young boy growing up on his father's estate. He has never known another home besides Weldon Castle and is secure in the love of his parents, Lord Weldon and Lady Marian. He's learning to ride and to wield a sword, and likes nothing better than to clean and care for his father's beautiful golden sword, which one day will be his. Life seems calm and pleasant until the day a wounded knight is brought to their door.
That wounded knight, though he brings an air of mystery and adventure with him, turns out to be trouble. No one suspects so at first. In fact, once he wakes and Lord Weldon gets a good look at him, the family is overjoyed. The knight is the Lord's long-lost brother, Shan's Uncle Lionel. It seems a family reunion is just one more bright piece to add to their mosaic of happiness.
But Lionel is a bitter and greedy man. He taunts Shan, treats him disrespectfully, and orders him around. And one day, after going out riding with Shan's father, Lionel returns...but Shan's father does not. Lionel tells them that Lord Weldon died in a terrible accident in the forest. And it soon becomes clear, from the way he treats Shan and his mother, that their own lives are in danger. For Lionel wants to take over the Castle and take his brother's place...and his sword.
So begins The Sword in the Tree, an adventure story penned by Clyde Robert Bulla in 1956. I recently read this book aloud to my seven year old, and it made an excellent supplement to the things we were learning about Arthurian legend.
As you can probably tell from the opening description, The Sword in the Tree is not a difficult story. It's pure adventure, simply told, with a happy beginning, an obstacle-ridden middle, and a happy ending. Elements of mystery permeate it, but they are mysteries that 7-10 year olds, just beginning to read and appreciate mysteries, will enjoy, and are often quickly solved. Who is Uncle Lionel and what is he planning? Will Shan and his mother be able to get away in time and save their lives? Is there any way Shan can get help and return to avenge his father and take back their ancestral home? And what will happen to the sword, which Shan hides in a nearby oak tree before he and his mother flee for their lives?
Those are some of the main questions, and they drive the plot satisfactorily toward its destination. Since the time of the story is set in the fictional time and realm of Arthurian England, Shan's quest for help takes him to Camelot, where Arthur himself, no longer very young, gets a cameo. It's Sir Gareth, one of the knights of the round table, who actually rides back to Weldon Castle with Shan and his friend Magnus, a shepherd boy Shan has befriended during his forest sojourn. How they set things to right at the castle, and the role of the recovered sword, provides part of the happy ending.
My daughter enjoyed this story, though I can't say it kept her riveted. I attribute this to two things: Bulla's rather plain prose, and the fact that this story would likely appeal a bit more to a boy. I usually don't try to categorize stories "for boys" and "for girls," since a good story is a good story, but the fact of the matter is, boys in this age range are usually far more interested in sword-fighting and knights than girls are. The fact that the protagonist is a boy and that girls/women get scant page time (even the likable Lady Marian drops out of the narrative fairly quickly, staying with Magnus' family in the forest while Shan goes to Camelot for help) gives this story a little less emotional appeal to girls.
Still, I was grateful we read it as it definitely helped paint a picture of Arthur and his knights in a way that felt age-appropriate for my second grader. A lot of Arthurian legend, while beautiful and fascinating, still feels a bit over her head. We also read sections from H.E Marshall's Our Island Story and a story or two from Mary Pope Osborne's Favorite Medieval Tales, but I liked that this story provided an entrance into "Arthur's world" via a young protagonist.
I also don't mean to demean Bulla's prose. I described it as plain, and I suppose what I really mean is that it's not very lyrical. But it's strong and lean, and it tells a good story. The simple sentences, which don't feel very musical when read-aloud, do seem made for independent reading: Sir Gareth led the way on his black war horse. Shan rode behind him on a brown pony from the king's stables. He carried Sir Gareth's shield.
I appreciate that simplicity when it comes to encouraging more independent reading. My seven year old reads very well but has struggled with confidence: she prefers reading picture books to "chapter books" still, partly because she's highly visual, and partly because she's convinced the latter are still beyond her. Not long after we finished this book, I casually opened it again to chapter one and suggested she try it. She was astonished by how easily she was able to read the first page on her own (though it didn't hook her into reading through the whole thing again independently....that day will come)!
There are simple black and white illustrations in our copy of this book, which happens to be a hardback library copy the 1956 first printing. The pictures are by Paul Galdone, and while they're not wildly exciting -- color would help -- they do help to illustrate clothing and weaponry mentioned in the text. The reprint edition issued in 2000 by HarperCollins lists a different illustrator, though not having seen it (except in the cover image on Amazon) I can't tell if it's just a new cover or has new illustrations throughout. The brightly colored cover of the recent reprint looks charming.
I recommend The Sword in the Tree as a read-aloud, or (even better perhaps) for young independent readers around 8-10. It provides a solid and imaginative introduction to the fictional world of Arthurian legend. Shan is a likable young protagonist who exhibits some very good virtues, including bravery and hope. This is an old-fashioned book, and I mean that as a compliment.
~befus, 2009
The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla Originally published by Thomas W. Crowell, 1956 Recent reprint from HarperCollins, 2000 (ISBN 0064421325)
This is the first in a series of occasional reviews of books I'm using to help introduce my daughter to medieval history during her second grade year. We homeschool, and are following the classical education model that presents history in four year cycles, beginning with ancient history during the first grade year (first year of the 'grammar stage') and moving on to medieval and renaissance history in the second grade year (second year of the 'grammar stage'). We're using The Story of the World: Volume 2 (by Susan Wise Bauer) as our history "spine" book.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.