For the first book of the summer to read off of the Dorothy Canfield Fischer 2016-2017 Nominee List, I read Shadows of Sherwood: A Robyn Hoodlum Adventure by Kekla Magoon. Below are my reactions.
We have backup plans. And backups of backup plans – specifically for the situation that Shadows of Sherwood suggests. That doesn’t stop the story from being frightening – particularly in the age of Trump running for president.
When I have a student come up to me asking if Trump is going to win because she’s afraid of what’s going to happen to her and her family because of their skin color if he does, and you don’t even know yourself, and you really hope not, but you don’t have a good answer for her – that’s frightening.
Of course, Shadows of Sherwood is different enough from today’s realities that you can’t really do a full comparison. The ideas are taken straight from British history. The parallels to King John and the revolution of the Magna Carta are much more relevant to the story. And so they should be. The original Robin Hood was based on this period of time – when John’s brother Richard was king and fighting in the Crusades. While Robin Hood himself is fictitious, the story itself is steeped in history. Kekla Magoon does a good job of pulling from the history of the tale as well as the original story to bring together a completely new tale. It’s as steeped in legends and folklore as it is modern and technological.
This science fiction retelling is spot on and wonderfully fast-paced. It keeps us interested and as afraid of what’s going on as the characters themselves. At the same time, it keeps us hooked and reading.