Rules for a Knight
By Carrie R. Wheadon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
A gateway for deep family discussions about values.
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What's the Story?
As a knight prepares for what he believes to be his final battle, he writes a letter to his four children filled with advice on living an upstanding life. He imparts 20 rules -- such as "Patience," "Justice," and "Generosity" -- and tells stories from his own life struggles that explore their value.
Is It Any Good?
If you're a parent wondering how to have deeper discussions with your kids about values, try this mini-philosophical gem. Kids hear so much about the opposite -- injustice, greed, dishonesty -- in the news and on reality shows that it's so refreshing to spend time pondering what good we can find in ourselves and others instead. And don't worry about RULES FOR A KNIGHT sounding like a follow-my-rules-or-else lecture. The knight narrator takes time to encourage his children to trust their gut instincts, find their own happiness, and make mistakes and move on. It's a more balanced approach than most parents, even the philosophy majors, can manage with our busy lives.
Note that "Rule XIII: Generosity" is put in practice here: All royalties from Rules for a Knight go to organizations helping young people overcome learning disabilities.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about everything in this book at length. Which rule is the toughest to follow for each family member? Why? Which values are most important to each of you?
Once you've exhausted all the topics, visit page 171: "Special Thanks to Other Knights." Many famous names are listed here. How do you think each person influenced not only this work but author Ethan Hawke's personal life philosophy? If you wrote a book of your philosophies to pass on, what would your list of people to thank look like?
For families practicing a particular faith, what does the knight narrator say about "Faith" (rule 17)? How would your family change or expand on that? How does your faith incorporate the wisdom of many of the other rules in this book?
Book Details
- Author: Ethan Hawke
- Illustrator: Ryan Hawke
- Genre: Advice
- Topics: Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Knopf
- Publication date: November 10, 2015
- Number of pages: 192
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 3, 2016
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