Park School alumnus Adam Gidwitz claims he spent his entire middle school career in the principal’s office. For parents of seemingly rudderless middle schoolers, this acknowledgement offers a ray of hope. Here’s why. Adam Gidwitz not only eventually graduated from the Park School of Baltimore; he grew up to be a highly acclaimed children’s author of multiple books, most recently “The Inquisitor’s Tale Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dogby” (Dutton Books for Young Readers), just awarded a Newbery Honor.
Get a sense of the book here, courtesy of Indiebound.org:
1242. On a dark night, travelers from across France cross paths at an inn and begin to tell stories of three children. Their adventures take them on a chase through France: they are taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king, and save the land from a farting dragon. On the run to escape prejudice and persecution and save precious and holy texts from being burned, their quest drives them forward to a final showdown at Mont Saint-Michel, where all will come to question if these children can perform the miracles of saints…Told in multiple voices, in a style reminiscent ofThe Canterbury Tales, our narrator collects their stories and the saga of these three unlikely allies begins to come together.
Hailed for its complex themes and simultaneous light tone, Gidwitz’s “The Inquisitor’s Tale” is considered a tour de force. Of the book’s many positive reviews, this one perhaps stands out the most: “I have never read a book like this. It’s weird, and unfamiliar, and religious, and irreligious, and more fun than it has any right to be. . . . Gidwitz is on fire here, making medieval history feel fresh and current.” –School Library Journal, starred review.
Look for the book at local libraries and book stores.
Cover and other illustrations by Hatem Aly
