Fans of Lincoln Peirce's much-loved Big Nate series (Big Nate: In a Class by Himself; Big Nate on a Roll; etc.) will be pleased to see Nate himself introducing Peirce's rowdy and hilarious comic book novel Max and the Midknights--and getting in trouble with Mrs. Godfrey in the process.
Max is a kid in the Middle Ages, apprenticed to Uncle Budrick, a decidedly mediocre troubadour. Unfortunately, Max has zero interest in becoming a singer of songs and teller of tales, and instead is dying to become a knight. When a dastardly villain robs the pair, they are set on an accidental knightly quest, which, it turns out, is actually Max's destiny, written in the Byjovian Book of Prophesies long ago.
Recruiting Mumblin, a bumbling retired sorcerer, Kevyn, a "whiz kid" wannabe writer and a couple of child "vagrants," Max forms a merry band of "not ACTUAL knights" but "definitely more than MAKE-BELIEVE knights... sort of in the middle... Middle!... Knights!... MIDKNIGHTS!" The motley crew encounters dragons, sword fights, menacing false royalty, a few kind peasants and setbacks galore on their adventure, all of which is enough to make Max and the Midknights a sure bet for bookworms and non-bookworms alike. The book's design contributes to its appeal: comic-book-style panels alternate with blocks of text, keeping readers moving swiftly through the narrative.
What really sets Peirce's books apart is the nonstop comedic action; Max is no different. Readers of a certain age might snort their chocolate milk out their noses during slapstick scenes (Farting! Silly disguises!), and there's plenty of silliness for older readers, too, who will appreciate the intentional anachronisms and self-referential asides strewn throughout. As the Midknights creep toward a spooky, bewitched cottage, for example, Uncle Budrick, now incognito as an enchanted goose but as eager to perform as ever, says, "Hey, gang! How 'bout we pass the time with a SONG? Here's a little tune I call 'Uptown Funk'!" In another scene, Mumblin explains why he hadn't eaten breakfast that morning at Shady Acres Home for Aged Sorcerers: "Gruntwick the Greedy was ahead of me in the buffet line." And then there's Max describing life in the Middle Ages: "Yup, we're talking the fourteenth century. That means a lot of important stuff hasn't been invented yet. Like paved roads, the toothbrush, and a little convenience known as indoor plumbing."
The plot moves along rapidly, not breaking pace even when the Midknights seem to land in impossible situations: "Why don't we avail ourselves of the horse that, in a highly unlikely plot twist, is coming this way?" says Kevyn, as the gang begins to panic over the imminent return of an evil sorceress. Sure enough, here comes Dusty, the horse that bolted a couple hundred pages earlier.
Fun, fun and more fun, Max and the Midknights will keep kids reading and chortling until the last page. And then they'll probably start over again. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor
Shelf Talker: In this droll illustrated novel, the creator of the Big Nate series introduces a Middle Ages hero who befriends dragons, rescues cursed kings and makes readers laugh out loud on every page.