Adam Gidwitz is the author of the critically acclaimed,
New York Times bestselling Grimm trilogy. He spent six years
researching and writing The Inquisitor’s Tale, including a year
living in Europe. Adam lives with his family in Brooklyn, NY. Find
Adam online at adamgidwitz.com or @AdamGidwitz.
Hatem Aly is an Egyptian-born illustrator whose work
has been featured on television and in multiple publications
worldwide. He currentlylives in New Brunswick, Canada, with his
wife, son, and more pets than people. Find him online at
metahatem.com or @metahatem.
“What Gidwitz accomplishes here is staggering. ‘The Inquisitor’s
Tale’ is equal parts swashbuckling epic, medieval morality play,
religious polemic and bawdy burlesque, propelling us toward a
white-knuckle climax where three children must leap into a fire to
save…a Talmud. And yet, the rescue of this single book feels like
higher stakes than any world-incinerating superhero battle. Part of
this is because ‘The Inquisitor’s Tale’ is dense with literary and
earthy delights, including Hatem Aly’s exquisite illustrations,
which wrap around the text as in an illuminated manuscript.”—New
York Times Book Review
“Adam Gidwitz mingles earthy humor and high culture in The
Inquisitor’s Tale, a medieval story that
unfurls Chaucer-style, with revelers in an inn taking turns to
explain why the king of France is trying to hunt down three
child-saints and their holy dog. Hatem Aly’s marginal
illuminations add sparkle to this novel for 11- to
16-year-olds.”—Wall Street Journal, “Best Books of 2016”
“Three children persecuted for their religious beliefs band
together to fight intolerance—and save their necks—in this
fascinating story set in 13th century France.”—People
“It’s no surprise that Gidwitz’s latest book has been likened
to The Canterbury Tales, considering its central story is told
by multiple storytellers. As each narrator fills in what happens
next in the story of the three children and their potentially holy
dog, their tales get not only more fantastical but also more
puzzling and addictive. However, the gradual intricacy of the story
that is not Gidwitz’s big accomplishment. Rather it is the complex
themes (xenophobia, zealotry, censorship etc.) he is able to bring
up while still maintaining a light tone, thus giving readers a
chance to come to conclusions themselves. (Also, there is a farting
dragon.)”—Entertainment Weekly, “Best MG Books of 2016”
★ “Gidwitz continues to toy with narrative in a
well-researched and rambunctiously entertaining story that has as
much to say about the present as it does the past…The tale that
comes into focus is one of religious persecution and faith,
friendships that transcend difference, and a dangerously flatulent
dragon—Gidwitz continues to have no problem mixing high and
low.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ “It is a time of miracles and saints, of fiends and dragons,
all of which Gidwitz has meticulously teased from legends and
histories of the Middle Ages…Gidwitz proves himself a nimble
storyteller as he weaves history, excitement, and multiple
narrative threads into a taut, inspired adventure.”—Booklist,
starred review
★ “Gidwitz strikes literary gold with this mirthful and
compulsively readable adventure story set in medieval France…While
the three protagonists initially come together out of necessity,
the heartwarming friendship they form celebrates a common humanity
that transcends the bounds of race, religion, and social class. The
author creates a richly designed medieval world, filled with
imperious knights, farting dragons, foreboding forests, and
soulless fiends, in which nothing is as it seems, including the
tellers of the tales…Gidwitz's lighthearted touch nonetheless
provides for insightful commentary on the dangers of
narrow-mindedness and zealotry that will resonate with modern
readers. A masterpiece of storytelling that is addictive and
engrossing.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “Gidwitz’s tale of medieval France successfully
combines the epic with the personal, aiming for that heartstopping
moment when characters readers have come to care about find
themselves on a collision course with one of the great woodchippers
of history—the Inquisition, agents of which are in hot pursuit of
three underdog characters (and one actual dog) from the very
start…This book appeals to the heart, to the mind, and to any
reader’s appetite for action: read it for the thrilling escapes,
the fart jokes, the stinky cheese, or the palace intrigue. Read it
for the Talmudic wisdom, commonsense philosophies, and moments of
doubt. Read it for the palaces and monasteries and the unbelievable
descriptions of food. But read it.”—School Library Journal, starred
review
★ “An ambitious mash-up of medieval saints’ lives, the Joan of
Arc legend, thirteenth-century French history, and elements of The
Canterbury Tales…Gidwitz presents moral issues that are currently
relevant, and gives several theological arguments about good and
evil a brisk, accessible airing. Scatological humor, serious
matter, colloquial present-day language, the ideal of diversity and
mutual understanding—this has it all.”—The Horn Book, starred
review
★ “Cleverly crafted…Six years of extensive research and a
natural storyteller's gift shine in [Gidwitz’s] spiffily spun
novel…Over-the-top skirmishes, comical triumphs over thugs,
unlikely allies, religious persecution, stinky French cheese, noble
acts of bravery, deep-seated emotion, profound theological
questions--and a fatally flatulent dragon--intermingle in this
suspenseful novel set in a medieval world where atrocities are
committed in the name of God. In the style of "illuminated"
medieval texts, Egyptian-born illustrator Hatem Aly illuminates
Gidwitz's story with whimsical black-and-white drawings that
enliven this philosophical swashbuckler.”—Shelf Awareness, starred
review
“This ‘Canterbury Tale’-style masterpiece is serious, scatological,
violent, funny, philosophical and timely.”—San Francisco Chronicle,
gift guide
“The children are like none we’ve met before: so dignified, so
self-sufficient, so, well, medieval. And yet, they are funny,
intensely real and believably brave…Gidwitz and illustrator Hatem
Aly breathe life into a tale that you won’t soon forget.”—Chicago
Tribune
“Gidwitz paints a vivid image of medieval France, and his mix of
heart and humor makes this book an utterly magical read. Who else
could weave a tale of acceptance, love and hope, complete with
farting dragons?”—San Diego Union Tribune
“Brimming with action, history, humor and much more, Gidwitz has
crafted a masterfully seamless novel that is thought-provokingly
relevant, making this selection nothing short of brilliant.”—Books
to Borrow, Books to Buy
“Whimsical and winding…One of the most interesting parts of this
story is the message it teaches: A story is established that brings
together three characters from very different backgrounds. At first
there is conflict between them, but the characters learn to work
together. With the conflict in the current political atmosphere,
perhaps this is something even adults could stand to learn.”—Denver
Post
“Game-changing…I have never read a book like this. It’s weird, and
unfamiliar, and religious, and irreligious, and more fun than it
has any right to be…As I write this review in 2016 and politicians
bandy hate speech about without so much as a blink, I can’t think
of a book written for kids more timely than this…As for the writing
itself, that’s what you’re paying your money for at the end of the
day. Gidwitz is on fire here, making medieval history feel fresh
and current.”—Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production
“[An] exciting adventure story…Just as medieval manuscripts had
illuminated drawings, great illustrations go hand-in-hand with the
story. Gidwitz finds a way to make the Dark Ages not so dark but
exciting and full of mystery.”—The Clarion Ledger, holiday gift
guide
“The Inquisitor’s Tale is a well-researched and thoroughly
engaging adventure, which beautifully imagines the feel and texture
of thirteenth-century France. It is also a moving exploration of
friendship, curiosity, and love of learning in a world all too
filled with narrow-mindedness and hate.”—Sarah Lipton, professor of
medieval history at SUNY, Stony Brook
Accolades for A Tale Dark & Grimm:New York
Times bestseller
Selection on the Today Show's Al's Book Club for Kids
NCTE Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts Selection
An E. B. White Read Aloud Honor Book
New York Times Editors' Choice pick
Publishers Weekly Flying Start
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
ALA Notable Book
"Unlike any children's book I've ever read . . . [it] holds up to
multiple re-readings, like the classic I think it will turn out to
be." —New York Times Book Review
"A marvelous reworking of old stories that manages to be fresh,
frightening, funny, and humane." —Wall Street Journal
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