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The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz







The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog is a middle grade fiction novel by Adam Gidwitz. It won the Newbery Honor for 2017. This is a brilliant story about three children, from all different backgrounds, and their magical abilities. Set during the Inquisition, the children are on the run from the king.

Sex: None.

Language: Mild. A couple of curse words here and there. William always refers to his donkey as "his ass" and Jeanne and Jacob find that hilarious.

Alcohol/Drug Abuse: People are gathered together in a tavern to tell the story of the children. They often interrupt the story to request more ale from the innkeeper. A couple of characters are portrayed as drunk.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: William kills some attackers in the woods with a donkey's leg. Jacob's parents perish in a fire started by local teenage boys. Every time the kids are captured, they are led around by ropes around their necks. Most of the story is about the kids running from someone who is trying to kill them. There are a few other deaths, but I don't want to spoil the story.

Final Note: Before I go any further, some people might see this book as sacrilegious. The three kids do perform "miracles." William is incredibly strong, Jeanne has visions of the future, and Jacob has the ability to heal. The children consider the dog Gwenforte to be holy because she came back from the dead. But this book is also set during the Inquisition. Not only that, but it's purpose is to show that people from all different backgrounds can get along and have friendships. William is a young African Christian monk whose mother was a Muslim. Jeanne is a Christian. Jacob is a Jew. Their main mission in the book is to try and stop the king from burning all of the Jewish Talmuds. (Which actually happened in history and the Jewish people were made to watch!) The author does mention in passing that by the end of the story, the kids believe that everyone chooses their own way to God and Heaven. This isn't consistent with most people's belief systems, but the purpose of this book isn't to convert anyone. It's to teach kids some history while showing them how to be respectful of others. I personally found it to be beautifully written and agree that it deserved a Newbery Honor!
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