The Door in the Wall: (Newbery Medal Winner)

I first read this book as a child, more than once, and loved it then. I was tickled to see it listed on Amazon as available on Kindle, and have read it this evening in one sitting. From the vantage point of almost 60 years, I love and appreciate it even more now. The small illustrations throughout were sketched by the author, and are perfect accompaniments for the sweet, encouraging, tale of a time far back in history. A scholar as well as an author, Ms. De Angeli provides wonderful historical details while also telling an inspiring story of courage, personal growth and healing in the young character of Robin. Richly enhancing the story are themes of family and community, charity and bravery. All in all, a classic, delightful story that I plan to share with my children and grandchildren, reinforcing the belief that we can do hard things.

Purchased twenty of these for my team. Great quality and readability. Great story. "Always remember that," said the friar. "Thou hast only to follow the wall far enough and there will be a door in it." This book reminds us when we go through challenging times or are seeking something we haven't yet found, to keep going. Persevere, don't give up. You will find what you need eventually.

This 14th-century adventure book is surprisingly sweet and innocent, considering it includes scenes of battle, privation, and death. Originally published in 1949, and winner of a Newbery award, the story feels dated compared to books published more recently about medieval children's lives. It contains lots of factual tidbits about castles, transportation, monastic life, warfare, and other topics, carefully woven into the tale. A few of these seem anachronistic, such as the song Robin sings for the king - a song actually only a couple of hundred years old. But in fairness, more is known today about historical accuracy than was known seventy years ago. Robin is an appealing character, though he's at the far end of the curve in pushing himself to do tasks that are difficult or dangerous for him. The men who sometimes carry him and his crutches on their backs seem astoundingly strong, schlepping the ten-year-old up and down hills and stairs and towers without tiring; this I found somewhat unbelievable. But Brother Luke's mantra, "Thou hast only to follow the wall long enough and there will be a door in it," is as insightful and useful today as it was for Robin.

This 1949 Newberry winner celebrates a 10-year old disabled boy’s will and fortitude as he fulfills his noble destiny (not the one he expected) while growing in goodness and character. The story is set in the Middle Ages during the plague, and prior to England’s split from Rome. The viewpoint is, as expected, quite narrow and pure by today’s standards. A monk, Brother Luke, physically and spiritually cares for the child and fosters his character growth. He encourages the child to overcome life’s obstacles through dedication and hard work, by finding a “door in the wall.” This is a slow read, well suited for bedtime and winding down, with English vernacular (thee and thou) which if waded through has a great ending, filled with hope. It brings the Middle Ages (during the reign of Edward III) entirely to life. Recommended. My son of the same age at first found it slow, then as the main character grew in kindness, liked it very much.

The class will be reading this book for their middle ages in Europe unit coming up. It is a good book, especially if you also use the audible book so you can hear the sound effects. We will combine this book with some Gregorian chants so they can picture themselves in the monastery.

Delightful, low-key, descriptively lean account of England circa the 1330s through the eyes of a handicapped boy. Not the action adventure some readers seem to be expecting, but a non-revisionist slice of life, Middle Ages style. Younger readers will need to be good readers, and patient ones, to reap these rewards. (In fact, that's what this book is about!) De Angeli's short Newbery winner follows Robin, ten year old son of a nobleman fighting in Edward III's "Scottish wars" and one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting. Robin's London caregivers are wiped out by the plague, so the care of his delicate health (he has recently been stricken lame) falls to a benevolent monk named Brother Luke. The good brother quietly applies himself to strengthening Robin in both body and mind, emphasizing that perseverance and patience will always result in finding "a door in the wall," a way beyond present obstacles. Robin's lessons include wood carving, reading, writing, singing and playing music, swimming, and walking with crutches. There is no insistent plot to jerk the story forward and no loud, overstated characters to interfere with Robin's quiet development. Robin shares some mild adventures on the road in the company of Luke and a minstrel named John Go-in-the-wynd before all his newfound resourcefulness and skill are called upon in defense of a local castle. Nice, pleasant, quick. Unapologetic about the era's Christian culture and the benevolence of its priests, so probably not very popular among trendy Newbery spokespeople these days. But De Angeli's message of gentle, humble perseverance is actually inspiring.

This tale is well written and keeps you glued till the last page. Love this classic!

Having vaguely remembered enjoying this book as a child, I bought it for my ten-year-old, who loves the story as well. The language in this book is comparatively sophisticated and vaguely archaic ("We broke our fast"), but the story is so gripping that it goes down painlessly.

a good book to read. interpretable english. story is good too.

This book is a good book. I would have given it 5 stars had this book been written for adults. Unfortunately this book is for children and they will probably find the book too slow and with words too difficult to understand. I am not sure if a child alone can understand the book if he/she reads this book by him/herself. If I read this book to children, I would read one chapter at a time, stopping frequently to try to explain what was written, and at the end I would summarize the book with this: The reason why the main character finds his own door in the wall is because he accomplished something that basically anybody else could have done but nobody thought of or tried doing; and of course he did it regarless of his physical limitations.

For school. Exactly what was needed