Ratscalibur facts for kids
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Book Cover
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| Author | Josh Lieb |
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| Illustrator | Tom Lintern |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Chronicles of the Low Realm |
| Genre | Adventure, Children's, Fantasy |
| Publisher | Razorbill |
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Publication date
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May 5, 2015 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 192 |
| ISBN | 978-1-59514-242-9 |
Ratscalibur is a super fun fantasy book for kids. It was written by Josh Lieb and drawn by Tom Lintern. This exciting story came out in 2015. It's set in New York City and is a funny twist on the old legends of King Arthur and his knights. This book is the first in a series called Chronicles of the Low Realm.
Contents
What's the Story About?
Joey's Big Adventure
The story begins with 11-year-old Joey. He has just moved to the big city. One day, a special rat magician, called a "Ragician," turns Joey into a rat! This Ragician sends Joey on an important mission. He needs to report to Uther, who is the king of the rat kingdom named Ravalon.
Finding the Legendary Spork
On his way to Ravalon, something amazing happens. Joey accidentally pulls a legendary spork out of a scone. This spork is called Ratscalibur! It's just like the famous sword Excalibur from the King Arthur stories. Because he pulled the spork, everyone believes Joey is a special hero.
A Quest to Save the Rats
Now, Joey is expected to go on a big quest. He must save all the rats from a mean wizard named Salaman. If he succeeds, he might even turn back into a human!
Meet the Characters
Here are some of the main characters you'll meet in Ratscalibur:
- Joey: An 11-year-old human boy who becomes a rat hero.
- Patrick: Joey's uncle.
- Gondorff the Gray/red: An old and wise rat magician, also known as a Ragician.
- Parsifur: A brave, but sometimes a bit proud, knight.
- Brutilda: A strong guinea pig who works as a bodyguard.
- Aramis: The King's trusted advisor.
- Salaman: A mysterious enemy of the rat kingdom, Ravalon.
- King Uther: The ruler of Ravalon.
- Squirrelin: A squirrel magician, or "Squagician."
- Princess Yislene: King Uther's daughter.
Fun Connections to Other Stories
King Arthur's World
Ratscalibur has many cool connections to the old stories of King Arthur. These connections are called "allusions."
- The book's title, Ratscalibur, is a funny play on words. It sounds like Excalibur, which was King Arthur's magical sword.
- The whole idea of the book is a fun copy of medieval tales. It's full of brave knights and their adventures.
- One character, Parsifur, sounds like the knight Percival from the Arthurian legends.
- King Uther in the book is a nod to Uther Pendragon, who was King Arthur's father.
- The rat kingdom, Ravalon, sounds like Avalon. This was a legendary island in the Arthurian stories.
- The "Spork in the Scone" is a funny reference to the famous "Sword in the Stone" story. In that tale, only the true king could pull the sword from the stone.
The Lord of the Rings Connections
The book also makes connections to The Lord of the Rings series.
- Gondorff the Grey is a fun twist on Gandalf the Grey. Gandalf is a powerful wizard from The Lord of the Rings.
- Salaman, the hidden enemy of Ravalon, sounds like Saruman. Saruman is a major bad guy in The Lord of the Rings.
- Gondorff's name also includes Gondor. This is a famous land from The Lord of the Rings. Just like Gandalf, Gondorff changes his color later in the story.
- The story uses different types of animals, some friendly and some not. This is like the many races (like elves, dwarves, and hobbits) in The Lord of the Rings.
Other Fun Allusions
There might be even more hidden connections in the story!
