Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Medieval Castle - Hardcover

Cole, Joanna

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0590108204 ISBN 13: 9780590108201

Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2003

Synopsis

In the second of MS. FRIZZLE'S ADVENTURES, the Friz travels back in time to a medieval castle -- and teaches readers all about the Middle Ages.

With her reluctant student, Arnold, the Friz slips through a mysterious trap door -- and ends up in the Middle Ages! There, they explore a medieval castle, meeting the people who live there and learning about everyday life within the castle walls. When the castle is threatened by invaders, Arnold and the Friz don chain mail to lead the defense. They repel the invaders just in the nick of time, then they joust and feast before returning to the 21st century. With their careful research and trademark wit, Cole and Degen introduce the many facets of medieval life.

About this title

About the Author:

Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen, the author and illustrator of the Magic School Bus books, have collaborated for twenty years, bringing humor and true kidlike curiosity to science and learning. Booklist heralded Ms. Frizzle as "the wackiest, wisest teacher in picture books." Two MSB titles have been named School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, and they have won countless state book awards, from New York to Nebraska.

Review:

Publishers Weekly
(August 25, 2003; 0-590-10820-4)

Everyone's favorite teacher from the Magic School Bus leads a host of new titles that educate and entertain. In the second entry in a new historical series (the first was Ancient Egypt), Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Medieval Castle by Joanna Cole, illus. by Bruce Degen, the wacky instructor whisks reluctant student Arnold back in time to a 12th-century English castle. Humor peppers historical details as they learn about life within the castle-and withstand a siege. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal
(July 1, 2003; 0-590-10820-4)

Gr 2-5-One Saturday morning, Ms. Frizzle runs into one of her students, Arnold, at Craig's Castle Shop. They find themselves traveling back to medieval times, checking out life in a castle. The story mixes adventure with humor, fact with fiction. Cartoon illustrations, as usual, are awash with action and scenery. The busy layout includes large-type narration in white rectangles, pale yellow dialogue bubbles, and fact boxes. Kids will appreciate the funny asides, particularly Arnold's thoughts on his teacher-"Not my teacher! It's Saturday!" Although most of the facts can be found elsewhere, the presentation will be a draw for the many Frizzle devotees. Although the book has a larger format than the "Magic School Bus" series (Scholastic), it will attract the same audience. Even the endpapers have a spiffy spin on heraldry, with coats of arms depicting the teacher, her student, and their friends. Bus or no bus, there's no denying the Frizzle magic.-Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Booklist July 1st, 2003
As in the Ancient Egypt (2001), this amusing, informative, large-format entry in the Ms. Frizzle's Adventures series follows Ms. Frizzle on a time-travel trip into history. She and her student Arnold find themselves in a twelfth-century English castle with barely time for a tour before an invading army attacks. There's plenty of action and comic byplay, but along the way readers will learn a good deal about the purpose of castles, their structure, their history, and the social roles of those who lived in and around them. The pictures are brightly colored and the graphic design is reminiscent of comic bjoks, with small panels and speech balloons in addition to narrative text and larger illustrations. -Carolyn Phelan

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0590108204
• ISBN 13: 9780590108201
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Degen Bruce