Adam of the Road
Recommended. Age: 10+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
This Newbery winner is a gentle road story about a boy who keeps going. Adam learns that boasting gets him nowhere and that kind strangers, monks and scholars are gifts along the way. The Catholic England of abbeys, pilgrims and shrines is drawn with affection. The one reservation is that his beloved father gambles away money and a horse at dice.
For parents
Read aloud from 8, independent reading from 10. Good Books for Catholic Kids lists it for ages 10 to 11 and Memoria Press for grades 5 to 7. Ask why Adam's bragging costs him friends. Ask what Roger's dice game cost his family, and whether he makes it right.