The Sword in the Stone
by T. H. White
Buy on AmazonWhen Merlyn the magician comes to tutor Sir Ector's sons Kay and the Wart, schoolwork suddenly becomes much more fun. After all, who wouldn't enjoy being turned into a fish, or a badger, or a snake? But Merlyn has very particular plans for the Wart. This is the children's story of King Arthur's childhood which was the basis for the still popular Disney cartoon of the same title.
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By the Book: Ursula K Le · nytimes.com
"The Sword in the Stone was a favourite of mine. It all comes down to character. Wart is such a wonderful character and re-imagining of King Arthur as a child. The detail in the magic, again, made me laugh so much. The wonderful spelling match Merlin has with Madam Mim, the knights in armour not being able to move because their armour is so heavy – it’s exquisitely observed. White also wrote The Goshawk – a book about his attempts to train a wild goshawk – and his knowledge of falconry really comes through in the scenes with Wart and the hawk. In fact, H is for Hawk (2014) by Helen MacDonald is partly inspired by White and his relationship with his hawk. White knew his stuff. He knew his period and this comes through in the books. I adore that idea. I like books that are fiction but also make you think, and T H White did that."
Magical Stories for Kids · fivebooks.com