THE KNIGHT'S HANDBOOK

Anyone who's ever dreamed of jousting on horseback will want a peek at this fun history of knights. Benefiting from an interactive approach, the text not only traces the career path a noble-born boy pursued to become a knight—first serving as a page, then advancing to squire, and finally earning that literal tap on the shoulder from another knight, or even the king—but also shows through detailed instruction how to construct a castle, helmet, sword, shield, catapult, etc., from foil board and other inexpensive materials. Eye-catching layouts, complete with numerous full-color photographs and period illustrations, keep readers involved, as does Gravett's inclusion of such amusing tidbits as how to behave during a medieval feast (don't throw the bones back in the serving bowl) and the recipe for a knightly dessert. Also discussed are tournaments, the code of chivalry, and the Crusades, after which the book abruptly ends; readers will only wish that it were longer. (Nonfiction. 6-9)