The story: Kit Bristol is just a simple servant until the night his master is murdered. Turns out his boss was Whistling Jack, a notorious highwayman (or old-fashioned robber). But Jack was a good master, so Kit sets out to perform his last wishes. Little does he know that walking into the forest to meet a so-called "witch" will set him on the road to adventure, complete with magic, cross-country chases, tightrope walking, and a beautiful princess. (Don't forget the beautiful princess--Jack can't!) And stepping into his dead master's clothes ensures he ends up getting mistaken for him...and becoming a highwayman himself, purely by accident. But that's not the worst thing that happens to our hero: there are magical creatures with big teeth, evil dark-magic fairies, and a close encounter the hangman's noose!
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes (murder and robbery) PG; overall rating PG-13.
Liz's comments: This is an action-packed adventure story with a very likeable hero, and there's plenty of good writing, along with lots of British-humoresque LOL moments. The PG-13 rating comes mostly due to the vocabulary: Tripp writes in a Dickensian style and uses words most MS kids--or even HS kids--won't know. Give this one to kids who are either good at guessing the meaning from the context,or who are willing to read the frequent footnotes and/or look up the hard words. Fantasy lovers who are willing to invest some effort will eagerly await the second installment, "The Accidental Giant".
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