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The Sword in the Tree
Best-selling author Clyde Robert Bulla's classic, finely-crafted Arthurian tale with its sword fights, dark and dangerous dungeon, roguish knaves, action-packed showdowns and tales of dangerous feats, will appeal to emerging readers who are ready for chapter books and reluctant tween readers alike. In the days of King Arthur there stood a mighty oak tree within the walls of a castle. Peace reigned in the castle until the fearsome night when Lionel, long-lost brother of Lord Weldon, returned to cause trouble and unhappiness. It was then that Shan, the son of Lord Weldon, took on the duties of a knight and hid the sword in the hollow of the giant oak. The days that followed were filled with adventures that tried the courage of the young boy. Shan was surprised by bearded robbers in the woods. He met noble knights in plumed helmets, and eventually he even made a trip to high-towered Camelot. His story is filled with the pageantry and color of England in King Arthur's time. It creates a vivid picture of the Knights of the Round Table and the wisdom of King Arthur himself.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
73 people are currently reading
1421 people want to read
About the author
Clyde Robert Bulla
100 books97 followersBorn to be a Writer
Almost as far back as he can remember, Clyde Robert Bulla wanted to write. Born on a farm in a small town in Missouri, Mr. Bulla's first school was a one-room country schoolhouse. One day his teacher asked each first grade student what he or she would do with a thousand dollars. Young Clyde answered that he would buy a table. His classmates laughed heartily, and his teacher was puzzled. “What I really meant,” says Mr. Bulla, “is a desk or other flat surface on which to write my stories!”
First Stories
Mr. Bulla's first piece of writing was titled, “How Planets Were Born.” The ambitious opening sentence was, “One night old Mother Moon had a million babies.” All through school, Mr. Bulla continued to write stories mostly, but plays and poetry, too. After years of gathering editor's rejection slips, Mr. Bulla sold a magazine story, then several more. Soon after, Mr. Bulla wrote a novel and a publisher accepted it.
The Difficult Years
In the excitement of publishing a novel, Mr. Bulla wrote two more books. Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish them. His luck took a turn for the worse when the publisher of his first book went bankrupt. For several years, he worked at a local weekly newspaper where he struggled with linotype, kept books, collected bills, and wrote a weekly column.
Success!
A couple of Mr. Bulla's weekly columns caught the attention of a well-known author and illustrator of children's books. She wrote to Mr. Bulla, suggesting that he try writing a children's book. He immediately sent her a manuscript for a children's book he'd written a year before. Within one week, an editor of a New York publisher read the manuscript,and it was accepted. The book was The Donkey Cart, published in 1946. Since then, Mr. Bulla has written over twenty books for children, as well as the music for several children's song books.
About The Chalk Box Kid
“When I was young,” explains Mr. Bulla, “I sometimes found it hard to cope in new surroundings, and I was apt to get off on the wrong foot. This is the story of a boy who got off on the wrong foot in a new school and how he tried to cope.” In describing the chalk garden, Mr. Bulla says, “I gave Gregory something I've always wished for: a big, blank wall that I could cover with my own drawings.”
Almost as far back as he can remember, Clyde Robert Bulla wanted to write. Born on a farm in a small town in Missouri, Mr. Bulla's first school was a one-room country schoolhouse. One day his teacher asked each first grade student what he or she would do with a thousand dollars. Young Clyde answered that he would buy a table. His classmates laughed heartily, and his teacher was puzzled. “What I really meant,” says Mr. Bulla, “is a desk or other flat surface on which to write my stories!”
First Stories
Mr. Bulla's first piece of writing was titled, “How Planets Were Born.” The ambitious opening sentence was, “One night old Mother Moon had a million babies.” All through school, Mr. Bulla continued to write stories mostly, but plays and poetry, too. After years of gathering editor's rejection slips, Mr. Bulla sold a magazine story, then several more. Soon after, Mr. Bulla wrote a novel and a publisher accepted it.
The Difficult Years
In the excitement of publishing a novel, Mr. Bulla wrote two more books. Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish them. His luck took a turn for the worse when the publisher of his first book went bankrupt. For several years, he worked at a local weekly newspaper where he struggled with linotype, kept books, collected bills, and wrote a weekly column.
Success!
A couple of Mr. Bulla's weekly columns caught the attention of a well-known author and illustrator of children's books. She wrote to Mr. Bulla, suggesting that he try writing a children's book. He immediately sent her a manuscript for a children's book he'd written a year before. Within one week, an editor of a New York publisher read the manuscript,and it was accepted. The book was The Donkey Cart, published in 1946. Since then, Mr. Bulla has written over twenty books for children, as well as the music for several children's song books.
About The Chalk Box Kid
“When I was young,” explains Mr. Bulla, “I sometimes found it hard to cope in new surroundings, and I was apt to get off on the wrong foot. This is the story of a boy who got off on the wrong foot in a new school and how he tried to cope.” In describing the chalk garden, Mr. Bulla says, “I gave Gregory something I've always wished for: a big, blank wall that I could cover with my own drawings.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
January 23, 2016
This book makes me want to cheer. My 7.5 year old has been ready to move into chapter books with a thicker plot, but thicker plot usually means chapters that are a bit too long. Enter this perfect book. There's knights and castle intrigue, a mute wise man and King Aurthur himself. It's exciting and engaging but on just the right level for him. Every chapter has an illustration and the vocabulary was totally accessible for him -except for the names. He had to ask a couple times about that, but there you go. I don't really feel like I can complain about that.
Anyway, I tried to get him to read a chapter or two a day but some days he read three or even four. The choices and personalities of the characters led to some interesting moral discussions about loyalty and hospitality. I purchased this study guide to help me dig deeper and while some parts were a bit too old for him, a lot of it was just right. I made him write some and dictate some and I think it rounded out the experience a lot.
In the end, this was a great starter chapter book for my boy and the story was interesting enough to keep me interested as well. With all the knights and swords you could hope for, I highly recommend it for children who are on the verge of breezing through Magic Tree House type books.
Anyway, I tried to get him to read a chapter or two a day but some days he read three or even four. The choices and personalities of the characters led to some interesting moral discussions about loyalty and hospitality. I purchased this study guide to help me dig deeper and while some parts were a bit too old for him, a lot of it was just right. I made him write some and dictate some and I think it rounded out the experience a lot.
In the end, this was a great starter chapter book for my boy and the story was interesting enough to keep me interested as well. With all the knights and swords you could hope for, I highly recommend it for children who are on the verge of breezing through Magic Tree House type books.
October 12, 2024
Gwen and I took turns page by page reading this. It’s not very exciting for an adult, but for a beginning chapter book it’s pretty good, and Gwen really enjoyed it. I enjoyed reading it with her, so we’re going with four stars because for what it’s trying to be, it’s good.
January 5, 2024
A good story. A little infantilizing of the mother, but both parents were a bit unwise. It was emotional and had a good ending, though!
September 16, 2022
Packs a big story into simple sentences. Not a good read-aloud, but an exciting early chapter book.
August 21, 2025
Read this to my kids as we’re heading into the school year to study the medieval age.
They both loved it!
They both loved it!
October 13, 2015
This was a really good book! My mom was reading it to my younger siblings (ages 5 & 7) *This book is for ages 7-10* she loved it so much that she wanted me to read it. It took me 55 minutes to finish it and I would recommend it to anyone who loves books about medieval times. 5 stars!
(PS: Yes I know that I'm reading a children's book, yes I know I'm turning 18 in in 2 days. Do I care? Apparently not. lol)
(PS: Yes I know that I'm reading a children's book, yes I know I'm turning 18 in in 2 days. Do I care? Apparently not. lol)
May 13, 2018
This is like a first grader’s first introduction to every plot involving feudalism. Evil brother takes over and the good knight saves the day. I think my kids will like it, but there certainly isn’t anything original about The Sword in the Tree.
May 8, 2018
Izzy LOVED it!
February 6, 2020
3.5 stars
From the perspective of an adult, this story is fairly predictable and the prose is simple in order to appeal to a child. But this was still a good choice for a first chapter book, especially since we just covered Medieval times in history, so seeing a little bit of the world of King Arthur dramatized with a child as the main character was fun. My seven-year-old enjoyed it and I'm proud of him for reading a 100+ page book with very little help.
From the perspective of an adult, this story is fairly predictable and the prose is simple in order to appeal to a child. But this was still a good choice for a first chapter book, especially since we just covered Medieval times in history, so seeing a little bit of the world of King Arthur dramatized with a child as the main character was fun. My seven-year-old enjoyed it and I'm proud of him for reading a 100+ page book with very little help.
August 27, 2024
We enjoyed this as a read aloud, though my 2nd grader could have handled it as an independent read as well. (He read the first few chapters, had some questions about the mean Uncle Lionel, and we switched to a read-aloud...)
A nice little toe dip into the world of King Arthur and his Round Table knights, though we would have loved a little more denouement at the end.
More sensitive readers may need a little coaching on said meanness coming from a family member.
A nice little toe dip into the world of King Arthur and his Round Table knights, though we would have loved a little more denouement at the end.
More sensitive readers may need a little coaching on said meanness coming from a family member.
July 22, 2018
“This book is about a boy named Shan. Shan has a father and his uncle tried to kill his father. And then the uncle took away the castle. Shan and his mother ran away. Shan met a knight who helped him. My favorite part is when Shan spent so much time with his mother.” - Leo, age 5 🙂
August 29, 2022
Great short chapter book for children in Classical Conversations Cycle 2. Gives a good picture of what it’s like to be a knight or a king of a castle and be heroic. Definitely not twaddle and yet easy to read.
March 7, 2024
A great read aloud for my younger kids. Knights, castles, swords, honour, friendship, and bravery all under 80 pages with simple prose. If you kinda would love to get your kids interested in King Arthur's court a) we should be friends and b) this is a great book to pick up.
July 2, 2024
A little clunky to read aloud but would be a perfect beginner chapter book for a kiddo to read on his own. All my kids listened and enjoyed it, but 6yo boy liked it best.
Overall it’s a quick, fun, adventurous read.
Overall it’s a quick, fun, adventurous read.
February 10, 2018
An interesting twist to King Arthur and the desire to right a wrong.
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September 15, 2021This is a battle of the books choice for my 3rd grader this year. It took maybe 30 minutes to read the whole thing. I don’t know why it’s special? It was very boring.
June 19, 2025
Simply told yet compelling all the same. I enjoyed the tie-in to Arthurian legends. I'm glad to have read this for our challenge.
March 4, 2021
i think it is relly good because the boy is relly brave and...
August 24, 2022
Good story of bravery and adventure set during the medieval period. A good read aloud for littles, particularly little boys! Read to my 6, 5, and 3 year olds for cycle 2 of CC.
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April 10, 2025Grayson read this to me ❤️
December 20, 2016
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
The Sword in the Tree is a beginning chapter book set in the time of King Arthur and first published in 1956. Shan is the son of Lord Weldon and Lady Marie. When Lord Weldon's brother, Lionel, arrives at the castle, Lord Weldon goes missing and is pronounced dead, and Lionel takes control, causing Shan and his mother to flee for the sake of their safety. Shan wants to reclaim his father's rightful place in the castle, but first he must prove he is the true son of Lord Weldon.
Kids love knights and castles and swords, but few first and second graders are ready to read longer, more complex King Arthur stories. This book makes it possible for them to enjoy the subject matter on their own level, but without sacrificing any of the suspense or excitement. The plot of this book is well-structured, unpredictable, and very satisfying. The characters, though not described in very much detail, come to life through their words and actions, and of course, the presence of King Arthur himself is a key part of the book's appeal. There is also a strong sense of right and wrong in the story, which I appreciate as a parent, and enough happiness in the ending to please sensitive readers who might be otherwise troubled by some of the story's events.
There are not enough well-written historical fiction or adventure stories for beginning readers. Though this one is old enough to have been enjoyed by many children's grandparents, it holds up so well that there is no reason libraries should not have it on their shelves today. Compared with contemporary offerings like the Kingdom of Wrenly series and Magic Tree House, this book is less predictable, more exciting, and better written. Very highly recommended.
The Sword in the Tree is a beginning chapter book set in the time of King Arthur and first published in 1956. Shan is the son of Lord Weldon and Lady Marie. When Lord Weldon's brother, Lionel, arrives at the castle, Lord Weldon goes missing and is pronounced dead, and Lionel takes control, causing Shan and his mother to flee for the sake of their safety. Shan wants to reclaim his father's rightful place in the castle, but first he must prove he is the true son of Lord Weldon.
Kids love knights and castles and swords, but few first and second graders are ready to read longer, more complex King Arthur stories. This book makes it possible for them to enjoy the subject matter on their own level, but without sacrificing any of the suspense or excitement. The plot of this book is well-structured, unpredictable, and very satisfying. The characters, though not described in very much detail, come to life through their words and actions, and of course, the presence of King Arthur himself is a key part of the book's appeal. There is also a strong sense of right and wrong in the story, which I appreciate as a parent, and enough happiness in the ending to please sensitive readers who might be otherwise troubled by some of the story's events.
There are not enough well-written historical fiction or adventure stories for beginning readers. Though this one is old enough to have been enjoyed by many children's grandparents, it holds up so well that there is no reason libraries should not have it on their shelves today. Compared with contemporary offerings like the Kingdom of Wrenly series and Magic Tree House, this book is less predictable, more exciting, and better written. Very highly recommended.
April 27, 2022
Full review here: https://bookdevotions.com/book-review...
This is a super-simple, bare-bones knight's tale for grades 1 to 3. Although this didn't hold tons of appeal for me as an adult, there is a LOT to appreciate about this book for youngsters.
First, it's short and fast-paced, perfect for reluctant (or just antsy) readers. There's a lot of action and intrigue. The plot has a nice cyclical quality that makes for a satisfying ending. The book doesn't feel like a kids' book. It almost has a DiCamillo elegance to it, but not quite. ;-)
Tip: Don't encourage your kids to read the synopsis on the back cover. It gives away half the book.
Set in a mythical Arthurian England, young Shan is the only son of the Lord and Lady of Weldon Castle. He dreams of being a knight and doing great deeds. Then, one day, a wounded man appears at the castle, and everything changes.
Clyde Robert Bulla does a nice job of writing quick historical fiction that appeals to kids but that also has a lot to offer in a classroom/learning setting.
This is a super-simple, bare-bones knight's tale for grades 1 to 3. Although this didn't hold tons of appeal for me as an adult, there is a LOT to appreciate about this book for youngsters.
First, it's short and fast-paced, perfect for reluctant (or just antsy) readers. There's a lot of action and intrigue. The plot has a nice cyclical quality that makes for a satisfying ending. The book doesn't feel like a kids' book. It almost has a DiCamillo elegance to it, but not quite. ;-)
Tip: Don't encourage your kids to read the synopsis on the back cover. It gives away half the book.
Set in a mythical Arthurian England, young Shan is the only son of the Lord and Lady of Weldon Castle. He dreams of being a knight and doing great deeds. Then, one day, a wounded man appears at the castle, and everything changes.
Clyde Robert Bulla does a nice job of writing quick historical fiction that appeals to kids but that also has a lot to offer in a classroom/learning setting.
April 16, 2009
An evil uncle's plan to take over his brother's kingdom and it is up to the son to regain the kingdom.
Teachers can use this book to teach students about kingdoms, kings, queens, monarchy, loyalty, betrayal, and family. Teacher's can use this book to teach students how to have hope despite difficult circumstances.
Students will like this book because the main character is a young boy who faces difficult trials but must remain hopeful and brave. Students will be able to relate to the young boy and make text-to-self-connections. Students will enjoy the adventures and surprises that this book brings.
Teachers can use this book to teach students about kingdoms, kings, queens, monarchy, loyalty, betrayal, and family. Teacher's can use this book to teach students how to have hope despite difficult circumstances.
Students will like this book because the main character is a young boy who faces difficult trials but must remain hopeful and brave. Students will be able to relate to the young boy and make text-to-self-connections. Students will enjoy the adventures and surprises that this book brings.
March 30, 2018
My 5 year old boy absolutely loved this book! As an adult I thought it was a great story as well. The writing was fantastic- I was surprised, for a child's book, how well the story was developed and how much detail the author was able to use in a small amount of time. This was the perfect adventure for my young boy and I to read together! I know he'll be excited to read it again on his own when he's older. Highly recommend!
November 27, 2012
Read this book aloud with my 9 year old daughter. It is quick and light. I would think boys would like this book better than girls. Which is good to find a book for boys. Shan is a very likable character. It is too bad that in life we have to have proof before we are believed. What happened to honesty and integrity. I always like it when good wins and bad loses.
April 10, 2014
Join 11-year old Shan on an exciting journey to escape death and restore peace to Weldon Castle. This is a wonderful introduction for kids to the medieval world of knights, kings, peasants, and fair maidens.
October 4, 2015
A chapter book for young readers that tells the story of a young boy in medieval Britain who travels to King Arthur's castle in Camelot to ask the king if he'll help get rid of his unscrupulous uncle who has taken over his father's castle and usurped it as his own.
August 4, 2009
Historical Fiction book- Shan a son of a Lord goes on a journey to see King Arthur because his wicked Uncle took over his kingdom.
October 1, 2015
Just finished this one with fourth child, such a great read aloud, especially for boys
Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews