Knights & Castles

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 7, 2017

Review

This title in the "Lego Adventure in the Real World" series is a larger format and longer in length than others (Dino Safari and Deep Dive) and the extended page, larger size is a plus as the write-ups are contained on one page and don't spill over the gutter or around features. The pages are still busy, but the larger format helps with added white space. The book seems to be at a higher reading level, using fonts that will be tricky for emerging readers and with no pronunciations throughout the stories or write-ups (there is a glossary and index at the end). The tendency to add in a joke seems distracting and can take up the space of a photograph, which are well-chosen, clear, and pleasing to look at. The facts offered are excellent. Half of the book covers knights and half castles (32 pages on each) and it is heartening to see the inclusion of real knights and castles, both in photos and literature. There is a grammar error on page 60. The absence of stickers is better for libraries wishing to purchase this title. This type of book will appeal to your LEGO/knight lovers, but it is not going to be an easy book to navigate for all emerging readers. That being said, any level reader will enjoy the photographs and the facts that are included, and it is worth having these types of titles because it might engage a reader who is drawn to the LEGO logo, but then stays for the words, learning something due to that intersection.

Overall Book Score: very good