Shelly's Book Blog

I checked out a number of books for my son, all 6th-grade reading level, and among them was Lloyd Alexander's The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian. Since my son chose another book to read first, I decided to read this one myself, and I'm glad I did because I enjoyed it very much. Sebastian is a young fiddler who works for Baron Purn-Hessel. Because of an accidental slight against a powerful nobleman, Sebastian loses his place at the Baron's estate and is forced to find his own way in the world. Sebastian's journeys bring him in contact with many characters, both good and evil, but the most important is Princess Isabel, who has run away to escape marrying a man she does not love. The story offers plenty of humor and adventure, and even a touch of magic to keep things interesting.