A 2017 Newbery Honor Book Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award An exciting and hilarious medieval adventure from the bestselling author of A Tale Dark and Grimm. Beautifully illustrated throughout! The Inquisitor’s Tale is one of the most celebrated children’s books of the year! ★ New York Times Bestseller ★ A New York Times Editor’s Choice ★ A New York Times Notable Children’s Book ★ A … York Times Editor’s Choice ★ A New York Times Notable Children’s Book ★ A People Magazine Kid Pick ★ A Washington Post Best Children’s Book ★ A Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book ★ An Entertainment Weekly Best Middle Grade Book ★ A Booklist Best Book ★ A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book ★ A Kirkus Reviews Best Book ★ A Publishers Weekly Best Book ★ A School Library Journal Best Book ★ An ALA Notable Children’s Book
“A profound and ambitious tour de force. Gidwitz is a masterful storyteller.” —Matt de la Peña, Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author
“What Gidwitz accomplishes here is staggering.” —New York Times Book Review
Includes a detailed historical note and bibliography
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.
Join William, an oblate on a mission from his monastery; Jacob, a Jewish boy who has fled his burning village; and Jeanne, a peasant girl who hides her prophetic visions. They are accompanied by Jeanne’s loyal greyhound, Gwenforte . . . recently brought back from the dead. Told in multiple voices, in a style reminiscent of The Canterbury Tales, our narrator collects their stories and the saga of these three unlikely allies begins to come together.
Beloved bestselling author Adam Gidwitz makes his long awaited return with his first new world since his hilarious and critically acclaimed Grimm series. Featuring manuscript illuminations throughout by illustrator Hatem Aly and filled with Adam’s trademark style and humor, The Inquisitor’s Tale is bold storytelling that’s richly researched and adventure-packed.
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This was a beautiful and positive books to read! I picked it up because I recognized the author and I haven’t regretted it. It has a distinct focus on morality, Hope, and compassion which makes it a nice change of pace compared to a lot of the more “edgy” and violent series around. If you need a light and uplifting read with beautiful art, this is a great pick!
Now that the 2017 Newberys have been announced, I’ve started to read them. This is my first. I liked it but it got kind of weird at the end. The story is told by different people in a tavern and the illuminations are great.
Listen to Newbery Review: The Inquisitor’s Tale – Adam Gidwitz on #SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/joy-arceneaux/newbery-review-the-inquisitors
This book was amazing! I have read a LOT of books, but this is the only one that I absolutely could not put down. Full of suspense, and told in a witty way, great read for anyone 11-96.
This historical fantasy tackles everything from angel dogs to religious persecution to farting dragons, and does so with humor and beautiful imagery.
This rollicking adventure is as welcoming to the reader as it is intimidating to me as a writer. Adam Gidwitz makes thought-provoking topics like miracles, racism, antisemitism, Chaucer, and possibly epilepsy amazingly accessible.
A few favorite quotes to show his apparently effortless sketches of France in the Middle Ages:
“How rich do you have to be,” murmured Jeanne, “to be able to afford all your food?”
“Well, you might be an idolater,” Jacob said at last. “But at least you have good taste.”
The delightful illustrations only add to the enjoyment. Hatem Aly has a sense of humor that matches Adam Gidwitz’s. Everything about this book was made with intelligence, taste, and love and it shows. Even the quotes in the front of the book are perfectly matched to the story.
The one challenge to a middle grade reader *might* be the mystery of the narrator. But now that I think about it, it might only be challenging to adults to keep track here and there. Kids are smarter. There are some big twists and reveals and I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone by revealing things here. Please go and read it so we can all talk about it. 🙂 It’s a masterpiece you’ll enjoy.
Fantastic.
I felt like I was a bystander hearing the story as it was told in an intimate setting by animated storytellers who did not mince words. I laughed and gasped and did a double-take at what unfolded, and in the end all the very important life lessons were imprinted on me, despite all the fun I had while reading this book.
Unlike anything I’ve read before, and I love it even more for that.
my teacher read it to us
Great middle grade read!
One of the best children’s books I’ve read. I’ve recommended it to many people. It provided many topics for conversation, and my son and I stayed up past his bedtime on multiple nights because we couldn’t stop reading it.
A wonderful romp!
I enjoyed it/ I really liked the authors comments at the end about what led to the book and his sources.