How to Be a Medieval Knight

Description: Do you have what it takes to be a medieval knight?

Brief description: Nel Yomtov is an award-winning author of children's nonfiction books and graphic novels. He specializes in writing about history, current events, biography, architecture, and military history. He has written numerous graphic novels for Capstone, including the recent School Strike for Climate, Journeying to New Worlds: A Max Axiom Super Scientist Adventure, and Cher Ami: Heroic Carrier Pigeon of World War I. In 2020 he self-published Baseball 100, an illustrated book featuring the 100 greatest players in baseball history. Nel lives in the New York City area.

Review Quotes: Readers of this series will discover what it takes to succeed as a Greek hoplite, a samurai, or even a Viking. Short chapters and plentiful illustrations describe the life of a medieval knight or a Roman soldier and what qualifications were needed to become a fighter in each culture. The tools and training required are also covered, as well as success tips (e.g., taking up dancing to increase one's agility as an Aztec ­warrior). The reasons why fighters were needed are explained--disagreements between Greek city-states, for example. Along with the table of contents, index, and glossary, there is also a quiz at the end of each book to test the reader's knowledge. VERDICT An entertaining look at warriors from various cultures throughout history, and a good introduction for readers who enjoy learning about ancient times.--Suzanne Costner, Fairview Elementary School, TN "School Library Journal"