Reviews for A connecticut yankee in king arthur's court [electronic resource].

School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 5 Up-While Mark Twain is most often identified with his childhood home on the Mississippi, he wrote many of his enduring classics during the years he lived in Hartford, Connecticut. He had come a long way from Hannibal when he focused his irreverent humor on medieval tales, and wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The hit on the head that sent protagonist Hank Morgan back through 13 centuries did not affect his natural resourcefulness. Using his knowledge of an upcoming eclipse, Hank escapes a death sentence, and secures an important position at court. Gradually, he introduces 19th century technology so the clever Morgan soon has an easy life. That does not stop him from making disparaging, tongue-in-cheek remarks about the inequalities and imperfections of life in Camelot. Twain weaves many of the well-known Arthurian characters into his story, and he includes a pitched battle between Morgan's men and the nobility. Kenneth Jay's narration is a mix of good-natured bonhomie for Hank and more formal diction for the arcane Olde English speakers. Appropriate music is used throughout to indicate story breaks and add authenticity to scenes. This good quality recording is enhanced by useful liner notes and an attractive case. Younger listeners may need explanations of less familiar words, and some knowledge of the Knights of the Round Table will be helpful. Libraries completing an audiobook collection of Twain titles will enjoy this nice, but not necessary, abridgement.-Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.


Publishers Weekly
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When Hank Morgan is transported from 19th-century Hartford, Conn., to sixth-century England, his misadventures begin as he navigates a host of dangers en route to becoming "The Boss" of Camelot. William Dufris's enthusiastic narration is perfect; the deep drawl he produces might very well be the voice of Twain himself, and his pacing and comedic timing will delight listeners. Dufris is clearly enjoying himself, and he produces a series of unique voices for the knights and damsels Morgan meets in Camelot. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.


Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Twain's satirical response to Malory's glorious tale is a fine antidote to the pretensions of many mediocre Arthurian sagas. In his wickedly funny and irreverent rendering, a nineteenth-century gun factory worker, Hank Morgan, is knocked unconscious, then comes to in England in 528. He is less than impressed.


School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 7 Up-Hank Morgan wakes up after a blow on the head to find himself back in the era of King Arthur, where he must use 19th-century knowledge to stay alive and rise in power. Narrator Gibson gives life to the various voices of the court and peasantry while capturing Twain's humor throughout. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.


Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Gr. 6-9. Handsome volumes, these books will entice new readers and charm old friends as well. Both feature arresting dust jackets: Hyman presents a craggy Connecticut Yankee gazing directly at the reader while scenes of Camelot decorate the background. Moser captures readers' attention with a partially silhouetted ship moving through a marsh. Both offerings give evidence that care has been taken with design. The pages are thick and creamy, and the Verne book has an 1829 world map on the endpapers. Hyman, using a style that harks back to illuminated manuscripts, offers intricate (sometimes repeated) pen-and-ink drawings in the margins at the beginning of each chapter; these are supplemented by eight full-color plates, many of which capture bits of the story's whimsy. Moser's 16 dramatic full-color pictures are primarily portraits, similar to the work he did in the recent B'rer Rabbit books, Jump! and Jump Again! Often haunting, occasionally quirky, these paintings of individuals make a nice counterpoint to the scope of the story. -- Ilene Cooper

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