Like most mice in Camelot, young Calib Christopher dreams of becoming a knight, but when his name is mysteriously entered into the annual Harvest Tournament (to determine his eligibility), his nerves threaten to get the best of him. Shortly afterward, an assassination interrupts the competition, and the creatures grow convinced that the forest-dwelling Darklings are to blame. Calib is sure they are wrong and taps into unknown stores of courage to unite the animals and face the true, and much more dangerous, enemy. Leung's debut is a charming blend of Arthurian legend and Brian Jacques' Redwall series. A subplot involving Galahad's arrival as a boy in Camelot parallels Calib's struggles d eventual heroics ile integrating key characters from the legend. Exciting battles join suspenseful animal alliances, such as Calib's diplomatic excursion to the owls, all while Calib tests the limits of his bravery and learns what being a knight truly entails. With likable characters and a classic spirit of adventure, this is a satisfying story of small heroes accomplishing great things.

Descended from some of the bravest swordsmice ever to wear chainmail, young Calib Christopher lives alongside the human Knights of the Round Table, eating their crumbs and pledged to help defend the castle. That duty is tested when the timid mouse is selected to compete in the Harvest Tournament, a competition that leads to knighthood. When a beloved elder is assassinated during the competition-s first challenge, paws immediately point at a rival animal pack that lives outside the castle walls. Could war return to Camelot? Above the stairs, Queen Guinevere and Lancelot-s son, Galahad, face a parallel threat while King Arthur and his ablest knights are away. In this first book in the Mice of the Round Table series, debut author Leung subtly points out how heavy a burden one-s heritage can be by showing Calib and Galahad-s uneasy relationships with their status as favored sons. Though the plot is action-packed and battle-driven, Calib proves his worth by cautioning against making assumptions about the enemy and urging cooperation. Redwall fans will feast on this. A Paper Lantern Lit property. Ages 8-12. Author-s agent: Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media. (Oct.)

Gr 4-6 The sword in the stone, knights, battles, and bravery bring to mind the Knights of the Round Table and their adventures in Camelot. In Arthurian retellings, the focus traditionally falls on gallant heroes such as King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, and Merlin, but in this tale a colony of mice, flying squirrels, moles, and more take center stage. Calib Christopher comes from a long line of well-respected mice who, in different ways, have all risked their lives for Camelot. Calib has been entered in the Harvest Tournament. Before the test can even take place, Calib's grandfather, Commander Yvers, is viciously murdered. Calib soons sets off on a quest in which he encounters deadly grizzlies, luminous wolves, and the Darklings, the wild forest animals, in hopes of preserving not only his royal rodent society but all of Camelot itself. Leung employs classic language, with regal terms to re-create the timeless feel of Camelot. While her vivid descriptions and attention to detail are reminiscent of Brian Jacques's "Redwall" and Avi's "Dimwood Forest Tales," the plot is much more simplified and predictable. VERDICT An additional purchase for larger middle grade collections in need of epic animal fantasy. Mary-Brook J. Townsend, Episcopal Collegiate School Library, Little Rock, AK