Meg Cabot is the author of such books as the Princess Diaries series and All American Girl. One of her most recent books is Avalon High.
Storyline of Book
Ellie's parents are both college professors who are taking a yearlong sabbatical near Washington DC to write books. Ellie isn't happy at first about spending a year in a new school district away from all her friends in St. Paul, Minnesota. The only good thing she can find before school starts is the swimming pool in the backyard of the house.
School begins and Ellie meets Will, Jennifer and Lance. Will and Lance are best friends and play football. Jennifer is a cheerleader and Will's girlfriend.
Will and Ellie become friends and he invites her to a party at his house. While she is there, she stumbles upon Lance and Jennifer making out. She is uncomfortable especially when Will comes looking for Jennifer. Ellie distracts him until his half brother Marco come along with a story that Jennifer is needed to move her car.
Meanwhile, Mr. Morton, a member of the ancient bear society (a society which seeks out potential Arthurs in each generation and works to protect them), believes Will and his friends are King Arthur and his court reincarnated. He thinks Will, whose first name is Arthur, is king, Jennifer is Guinevere, Lance-Lancelot, Ellie-Elaine of Asolat, and Marco-Mordred.
A series of events lead the modern teens into situations much like those experienced by King Arthur and his court. A battle between the powers of good and evil begins in the form of a thunderstorm. The teens must survive the situations with the assistance of Ellie's professor parents and Mr. Morton.
Extras in the Book
Each chapter has an excerpt of the poem The Lady of Shalott by Alfred Lord Tennyson. The poem tells the story of Lady Elaine of Asolat a tragic member of King Arthur's court. The poem is significant to the story as Ellie is named after Lady Elaine and is at first believed to be the modern embodiment of this historical character.
The book includes an excerpt of the new manga book Avalon High: The Coronation, which is the first book of a series of manga books. The manga books continue the story of the characters in Avalon High.
The book also includes a description of each of the legendary characters mentioned in the book. The descriptions explain the importance of each character in the legend. Books for further reading about the legend are included at the end of this section.
This is a great book for starting a discussion of King Arthur's legend with those students that are reluctant readers. These students would find the fictional modern version of Arthur and his legend a good stepping point to reading further versions of the legend.
Avalon High by Meg Cabot
Harperteen, 2007
ISBN: 978-0060755881
Kelley Huston - A reader of all kinds of books, Kelley is an teacher who loves crafts and scrapbooking. She is a Disney fan who loves all things Disney.
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