The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great
The adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great/Gerald Morris; illus. by Aaron Renier.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.
Grade Level: 3-5
ISBN: 0618777148 (reinforced) 9780618777143 (reinforced)
Cost: $15.00
Sound Recording: Non-music: Elementary and junior high school:
Compact disc Sound disc: digital mono. ; 4 3/4 in. Princeton, N.J.:
Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic
Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Synopsis:
This book c hronicles the many adventures of Sir Lancelot showing off his talents and his wit to win at every quest he attempts on his way to becoming the greatest knight in King Arthur's court.
General Review:
Every child loves the tales of knights in King Arthur's court. This book relates those tales in a very easy to understand version. Morris includes humor along with the action to keep the reader engaged. This book will be a jumping off point for children to then delve into the longer books on King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. This book is a very good introduction for 3 rd and 4 th graders into the life of King Arthur and his knights.
Themes: Lancelot (Legendary character) -- Legends. ; Arthurian romances -- Adaptations. ; Knights and knighthood -- Folklore. ; Folklore -- England.
Author information: http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/aifolder/aipages/ai_m/morris.html
Discussion Questions: (Standard 3; Benchmark 3)
- Why did Sir Lancelot want to keep his armor clean? How important are first impressions?
- Why did Sir Lancelot pick lonely paths for his quests?
- Lady Blanche was willing to leave the dungeon door unlocked if Sir Lancelot would do something for her. What was that task? Was Sir Lancelot good on his word? Are you honorable and do what you say you will do even when no one is watching?
- Why did Sir Lancelot never wear a lady's token in a tournament?
- Why did Sir Lancelot come out of retirement? Sir Lancelot learned that “he was supposed to be a knight. Not a knight who wins tournaments, not a knight who delights the ladies, not a knight in shining armor—just a knight who helps the helpless and defends the weak.” Are there any things you could do to help the helpless and defend the weak?
Activities:
• Select a significant event from the book and draw an illustration. Be sure to include the page number(s) where the event takes place and write an original caption for the illustration. (Standard 5, Benchmark 3)
• Draw a flow map for the events chronicled in this story, beginning with coming to King Arthur's court to deciding to retire. (Standard 3 Benchmark 1)
• Read aloud a portion of the book. You could also act out a scene with a friend (like dropping acorns on Sir Phelot's head or his meeting with Lady Elaine and Sir Lavaine). (Standard 5, Benchmark 2)
• Write a persuasive letter from Sir Lancelot to King Arthur explaining why Sir Lancelot should be able to retire from being a knight. (Standard 3, Benchmark 4; Standard 9, Benchmark 1)
• Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Sir Lancelot's life as a knight to what his life might have been like after he retired. (Standard 3, Benchmark 1)
Similar Books for Further Reading:
Another book in this series, “The Knight's Tales” such as The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short also by Gerald Morris;
any book from the series, “Dragon Slayers Academy” by K.H. McMullan;
The Knight at Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne.