Adam of the RoadA Newbery Medal Winner Awarded the John Newbery Medal as "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children" in the year of its publication. "A road's a kind of holy thing," said Roger the Minstrel to his son, Adam. "That's why it's a good work to keep a road in repair, like giving alms to the poor or tending the sick. It's open to the sun and wind and rain. It brings all kinds of people and all parts of England together. And it's home to a minstrel, even though he may happen to be sleeping in a castle." And Adam, though only eleven, was to remember his father's words when his beloved dog, Nick, was stolen and Roger had disappeared and he found himself traveling alone along these same great roads, searching the fairs and market towns for his father and his dog. Here is a story of thirteenth-century England, so absorbing and lively that for all its authenticity it scarcely seems "historical." Although crammed with odd facts and lore about that time when "longen folke to goon on pilgrimages," its scraps of song and hymn and jongleur's tale of the period seem as newminted and fresh as the day they were devised, and Adam is a real boy inside his gay striped surcoat. From the Trade Paperback edition. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abbey Abbey of Bec Adam felt Adam looked Adam saw Adam thought Adam's Alban's asked Bayard beside bread castle Cheap Street church clothes cried crowd Dame Malkin Dame Prudence Daun William dinner door Elizabeth Janet Gray Ewelme eyes face Farnham father feet Giles's Fair Giles's Hill girl Gomshall gone gray Guildford hall hand harp head heard hill horse Hugh Jankin king ladies lanneret laughed leash legs Lisle House London London Bridge Margery Master Walter never Nick night penny Perkin pilgrims Ranmore Common red spaniel ride river river Wey road robbers rode Roger the minstrel sang shoes shoulder shouted side silver Simon sing Sir Adam Sir Edmund Sir Orfeo sleep song squire stone stood stopped Street surcoat tell There's things tiltyard told took tree turned voice walked wall wallet war horse Westhumble Winchester