Knights vs. Dinosaurs (Knights vs. #1)

Gr 3-6—The Knights of the Round Table share a secret: they spend most of their time fighting with each other for the fun of it because the kingdom has too few dragons to battle. To impress King Arthur, Sir Eric and the other knights embellish their tales. Merlin knows that the elaborate tales are too incredible, so he dangles a dangerous adventure in front of the knights. Of course, they take the bait. At the break of dawn, Sir Eric embarks on an escapade to face the most fearsome creature of all: the "Terrible Lizard." Not to be outdone, Sir Hector, Bors, and the Black Knight join the odyssey. This rollicking story is suspenseful and silly. The black-and-white pencil drawings add to the excitement and include double-page, comic book-like spreads that even reluctant readers will enjoy. VERDICT Themes of teamwork and feminism emerge, making this an excellent choice for all readers.—Annette Herbert, F.E. Smith Elementary School, Cortland, NY

In a highly illustrated chapter book, four braggart knights and one underappreciated squire square off against dinosaurs, all while learning about teamwork and honesty. Confronted with a dearth of foes in peacetime, Camelot's lesser knights feel inclined to exaggerate the "battles with beasties, run-ins with rogue trolls, or fisticuffs with fierce giants" that they purport to engage in regularly. Sent back in time by Merlin for such embellishments, Sir Erec, Sir Hector, the mysterious Black Knight, and Sir Bors (and squire Mel) know as little about "terrible lizards" as they know about true feats of strength. Nevertheless, the team finds itself doing spectacular battle with numerous recognizable prehistoric beasts, complete with one-on-one bouts, team attacks, and rescue missions (tricera-joust, anyone?). Motion-filled art by Phelan (Snow White) depicts anachronisms side by side in standalone and sequential panels. And as the time-traveling knights try to fight their way back to their true place in time, plot twists reveal the heroes' true identifiers, adding depth to this hilarious slapstick romp. Ages 8-12. (Oct.)