THE ELDRIDGE CONSPIRACY
Sir Kaye the Boy Knight, Book 4
by
Don M. Winn
Genre: Children’s Chapter Book / Adventure / Medieval
Publisher: Progressive Rising Phoenix Press
Date of Publication: June 16, 2017
Number of Pages: 166, B&W illustrations
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PRAISE FOR THE ELDRIDGE CONSPIRACY:
"This set of books just gets better and better. Yes, it’s a non-stop adventure, packed full of nasty barons and battling knights. But it’s also a story which is strongly-themed and where the bond between the characters is highly prized." —The Wishing Shelf Awards Book Review
“Books of adventure and challenge that still offer an emotional component are hard to come by for middle-grade readers—and even more so for middle-grade boys—yet Don M. Winn hits the mark dead center with The Eldridge Conspiracy.” —Patricia Reding, 5-Star Readers’ Favorite Book Review
“This is more than just a fictional story; it teaches children about life, about friendship, making decisions, and about not putting too much stock in pride all the time – sometimes pride gets in the way of making the right decision. Great story. I would recommend that the whole series be read in order to get the most out of it and I think all kids will enjoy this tale.” —Ann-Marie Reynolds, 5-Star Readers’ Favorite Book Review
“The Eldridge Conspiracy was a rewarding read due to a wonderful writing style of incorporating dynamic characters, humor, relevancy, and the thought that even without superpowers, children can be heroes.” —Stacey Waltzer, Urban Mommies
PURCHASE LINKS:
HALL
WAYS REVIEW: I have said it before, and I will say it
again: the Sir Kaye the Boy Knight series makes the librarian in me want to
gather a group of kids, put these books in their hands, and watch the
magic happen. As is the case with the first three books in the series, book
four, The Eldridge Conspiracy,
immediately draws-in the reader with action, danger, and suspense, and it never
lets up. Add to the mix bad guys readers will love to hate and the
sprinkling of illustrations by the talented Dave Allred, and it’s a perfect
package for young and/or reluctant readers.
Throughout the books, author Don Winn reinforces a set of
consistent themes, but he layers them and spins different angles to illustrate
their application. At the heart of it all is a set of values and lessons about
friendship, loyalty, perseverance, and honesty (and so much more) that will
stick with readers, young and old. What’s refreshing is that the values aren’t
demonstrated in a cookie-cutter way, and the characters aren’t always inclined
to stay true to their core values. They sometimes struggle with doing or saying
the right thing, and Winn shows that it’s okay to struggle – and he also
carefully shows the consequences of a careless word spoken or a selfish action
taken.
The characters are never stale or predictable, and they
act realistically. For example, where in book one, The Knighting of Sir Kaye, readers see Kaye modeling the importance
of not reacting to teasing, by book four, The
Eldridge Conspiracy, we see him really struggling when he can’t shake the
nickname, Sir Donkey, and it begins to affect him and the decisions he makes.
Readers will see Kaye go off course a bit when his pride gets in the way and he’s
sidetracked by unimportant distractions. Fortunately, Kaye grows and reflects –
and even self-diagnoses – to recognize and remedy his shortcomings.
It was heartbreaking to see the pressure
Kaye put upon himself to not only save his father, but to save his father like
a hero (a knight) would save him. When Kaye reveals that his fear is that his
father will die being disappointed in Kaye, my heart nearly broke.
Cue Reggie – the ultimate cheerleader and best friend.
Reggie, who has heartbreaking struggles of his own due to his dyslexia and
upbringing, shows growth and increasing self-awareness and amazing insight, especially
as he observes Kaye and his quest to be just like his father. Reggie saves the day on many levels in The Eldridge Conspiracy, but you’ll get
no spoilers here. Suffice it to say that Reggie is more of a hero than any knight
in the stories. I could talk for hours about the virtues of Reggie and the
value of having a character like him play a major role in the book. (Go ahead,
ask me some time.)
As with all the Sir Kaye books, in The Eldridge Conspiracy, Don Winn doesn’t disappoint. The book is cleanly edited, and the writing is
full of figurative language and words that put readers perfectly in the moment
(like mud sliding off a hill and making a “sloppy whumping noise.”) Winn has a
wonderfully engaging story line full of adventure and richly described settings
and characters. The ending was excellent, and the brilliance of Reggie’s idea
to metaphorically put one of Kaye’s problems to rest was especially satisfying.
The Sir Kaye series is like vitamin fortified cereal.
Kids will devour the stories while getting a sneaky but healthy dose of the good
stuff that fuels them. In a world where
it’s sometimes hard to find positive role models, the Sir Kaye series is an
excellent and highly recommended reading choice.
Thank you to Lone Star Book Blog Tours and the author for
providing me a print copy in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I
give.
A
FEW WORDS ABOUT THE STUDY GUIDE:
Don has been writing for over 20 years. After beginning with poetry, Winn moved on to writing children’s picture books. Almost immediately, his growing young readers begged for chapter books, which led to the creation of the Sir Kaye series. As a dyslexic, who well knows the challenge of learning to love to read, Winn's goal is to write books that are so engaging they will entice even the most reluctant or struggling reader. Winn lives in Round Rock, Texas.
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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
Three Sir Kaye #4 ARCs + 1 Sir Kaye Series Study Guide!
(US ONLY)
June 14-June 28, 2017
CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
6/14
|
Book Trailer
| |
6/15
|
Review
| |
6/16
|
Guest Post 1
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6/17
|
Review
| |
6/18
|
Author Interview
| |
6/19
|
Excerpt
| |
6/20
|
Review
| |
6/21
|
Scrapbook Page 1
| |
6/22
|
Guest Post 2
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6/23
|
Review
| |
6/24
|
Character Interview
| |
6/25
|
Educators' Special
| |
6/26
|
Review
| |
6/27
|
Scrapbook Page 2
| |
6/28
|
Review
|
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