The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Acceptable with guidance. Age: 11+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
Robin Hood is an outlaw who lives in Sherwood Forest with his merry men. They trick the proud Sheriff, win archery contests and help poor people. It is full of jokes, fights with wooden staffs and feasts. Robin dies at the end, and it is good for kids about ten and up. This is the Robin Hood most later versions come from, told in rich old-fashioned English with Pyle's own drawings. It has real courage, loyalty and care for the poor. It also treats robbery as fun, pours a great deal of ale, and makes most of its churchmen greedy. The world of the book is fully Catholic, and saints are named on almost every page. Read it with a parent who can sort the good from the mischief.
For parents
Read aloud from about eight or nine. Independent reading from eleven or twelve, since the old English style is hard. Plugged In says ages ten and up. Talk about stealing first. Robin gives part of what he takes to the poor, but taking what belongs to another is still theft. Ask: is there a better way to help the poor? What makes a law unjust, and what may a Christian do about it? Talk about the clergy. The bishop and the prior are greedy, and Friar Tuck is jolly but not much of a model. Tell your child that some churchmen have sinned and that the Church is still holy because Christ is her head. Name good priests and saints of the same age. The mock christening of Little John is a joke about a sacrament. Say plainly that Baptism is holy and not a game. Note the heavy drinking, the wager, and the trick of getting a man drunk. Warn sensitive readers that a prioress, Robin's own cousin, lets him bleed to death.