Henry is convinced his summer is ruined, when on the very last day of school, his teacher gives the entire 5th grade class a summer reading assignment about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
But, when Henry rescues two very unexpected companions: a mysterious black cat with attitude, he names Morgana, and an injured raven he calls Merlin, his summer turns int an experience Henry will never forget.
Between feeding ducks in Central Park with his grandmother, nursing Merlin back to health, and uncovering the meaning behind a tiny sword charm, Henry learns that courage, friendship, and letting go are what make a true knight.
This summer, Henry won't just read about knights...
He'll become one.
Filled with humor, heart, and a touch of wonder, A Knight in Central Park is a timeless story about growing up, believing in yourself, and discovering the hero within.
Henry is convinced his summer is ruined, when on the very last day of school, his teacher gives the entire 5th grade class a summer reading assignment about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
But, when Henry rescues two very unexpected companions: a mysterious black cat with attitude, he names Morgana, and an injured raven he calls Merlin, his summer turns int an experience Henry will never forget.
Between feeding ducks in Central Park with his grandmother, nursing Merlin back to health, and uncovering the meaning behind a tiny sword charm, Henry learns that courage, friendship, and letting go are what make a true knight.
This summer, Henry won't just read about knights...
He'll become one.
Filled with humor, heart, and a touch of wonder, A Knight in Central Park is a timeless story about growing up, believing in yourself, and discovering the hero within.
"Mrs. Proctor!!" Henry shouted, his voice full of panic. "Come quick! A fight! Nick, Will, and Alex are at it again-behind the school! It's bad! REALLY bad!"
Mrs. Proctor froze mid-bite, her sandwich suspended inches from her mouth. "What in the world?" she gasped, eyes wide behind her thick glasses. She dropped the sandwich and shot up from her chair.
Henry's tousled brown hair always looked like he'd just gotten out of bed; but now it spiked wildly, like he stuck his finger in a socket. He had green-blue eyes that seemed to change depending on the light; a smattering of light freckles across the bridge of his nose; and an expression that always made him look either mysterious or mischievous, like he was about to get away with something. Today he most definitely would.
Henry waved his arms frantically, pointing behind the building. "HURRÂ RRY!!!"
Mrs. Proctor took off, puffing as her stout, plump body hustled toward the back of the school. "Those three boys," she muttered between breaths, "I knew they'd pull something on the last day... "
"Shhh! She's coming!" Mrs. Proctor could hear hushed whispers as she closed in.
Just as she rounded the comer, she huffed to a full-on dead stop -
"SURPRISE!!"
A chorus of voices exploded in front of her.
Then, a dizzying flash of color sprang - Confetti flew. Streamers unraveled. Water balloons popped underfoot.
Mrs. Proctor let out a yelp, lost her balance, and landed squarely on her backside. THUD!! Dead silence. Not a pop; not a cheer was uttered. Everything froze, waiting.
Then-laughter. Bursts of it. Uncontrollable and contagious.
Henry raced over. "You okay, Mrs. P?'' he asked,trying not to laugh too hard.
Mrs. Proctor squinted up through the glare of a bright sun. All she could see was the bright glint of white teeth smiling down at her from the black silhouettes of her entire 5th grade students standing above her. When her eyes adjusted, she spotted them. Nick, who was grinning like a maniac; Alex, victoriously fist bumping the air; and Will, high fiving everyone around him while jumping up and down.
Mrs.Proctor finally caught on and cracked a grin. "You tricksters!" she huffed, shaking her head, still winded from the shock. "You faked a fight?!"
Nick gave her a big toothy smile. "You gotta admit, it worked."
Mrs. Proctor's eyes narrowed in mock menace."Oh, it worked alright. I should give you all Fs for scaring the life out of me!"
Henry held up his hands. "Hey, it was Nick's idea!"
"Traitor!" Nick shouted, tackling Henry in a half-hug, half-headlock.
Mrs. Proctor laughed, finally letting her guard down. "Alright, alright. You got me good. And I guess I deserved it after making you write those essays for your end of year assignment." Her eyes twinkling as she winked.
At the start of the school year, everyone in Henry's fifth-grade class hated Mrs. Proctor. She was a short, stout woman with a warm-brown face that had tons of black moles, reminding Henry of connect-the-dots. Her silvery-tinseled hair was yanked into a bun so tight it pulled her eyebrows up making her eyes bulge out, that when she looked at you from behind her thick glasses, they seemed like they were penetrating right through your skull into your brain and know that you weren't prepared. This was especially the case with Henry. She'd always call on him to give an answer when he didn't have his hand up.
By the end of the year, however, everyone in Henry's class had come to love Mrs. Proctor; because, although she was tough, they came to find out that she was a really good teacher. Now they hated that they wouldn't be in her class next year. They wouldn't even see her anymore since they'd be entering their sixth-grade year in high school.
So, when earlier that week Mrs. Proctor proclaimed her end-of-year plan for an "end-of-school- celebration," everyone in the class got together during lunch and talked about how they would surprise her with a celebration of their own. One of Henry's best friends, Nick said he knew exactly how they'd go about luring her to them; and together, they conspired to hatch their plot: Henry would get Mrs. Proctor's attention by yelling that Nick, Will and Alex had gotten into a fight.
Henry laughed, his blue-green eyes gleaming mischievously as he reached his hand down toward Mrs. Proctor, who was still on the ground, to help her get up.
The whole class had gathered to swarm around Mrs. Proctor to help get her back on her unsteady feet. As everyone slowly ushered her back toward the classroom like a colony of ants carrying their prized morsel of food, Mrs. Proctor muttered, "I think I need to retire to a remote island where students can't get to me. Y'all have gotten too smart for your own good!"
This short story is a wholesome coming-of-age tale that centers on Henry, a fifth grader, who describes himself as "strategically reckless." Told mostly from Henry's point of view, this middle-grade book offers a slice-of-life look at one summer in the life of a 12-year-old boy navigating imagination, responsibility, and growing up.
The author's writing style is clean and unobtrusive, striking an effective balance between showing and telling that makes the book easy to read. The reading level firmly places it in the chapter book/ middle-grade category, and it never asks too much of the reader. Henryâs voice feels intentionally young for his age. He is emotional, a little whiny, and completely unfiltered. He often talks out loud to himself, holding nothing back, which feels authentic, yet makes Henry seem younger than he is.
This story is driven by imagination rather than action. Arthurian ideas of knighthood: courage, justice, mercy, generosity, faith, nobility, and hope are woven throughout, reinforcing the idea that being a âknightâ doesnât require sword fights or dragon slaying. As one line puts it, âYouâve got the heart of a knight⌠Even if you donât know it yet.â These lessons are clear and intentionally spelled out, especially in the last chapters of the book.
The story itself is low stakes and low action, more slice-of-life than adventure. That makes for a calm, sometimes plodding read with no real surprises. It doesnât need to be read in one sitting, and in fact works better when taken in small pieces. The predictability and steady pacing make it ideal as bedtime reading for middle-grade readers, where you can pause at any point and easily pick up again the next night. And, of course, who doesnât love a book with animals?
Ultimately, this is a cute short story packed with positive lessons and an earnest message about growing into kindness and character. While it may not be particularly exciting or surprising, it succeeds as a thoughtful, age-appropriate read for middle-grade readersâand for adults reading aloud to children who appreciate a calm, reassuring story with heart.