36 pages 1 hour read

Jon Scieszka

Knights of the Kitchen Table

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1991

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Character Analysis

Joe

Joe is the point-of-view character of Knights of the Kitchen Table and the catalyst for the boys’ adventures in King Arthur’s court. As the birthday boy who received The Book as a present, Joe triggers the magic that sends the boys back in time. Within the group, Joe is the leader. As leader, Joe is the most likely to suggest the boys continue their adventures, convincing the others to go with Arthur’s knights and face Bleob. Joe is both brave and foolhardy in his thirst for adventure, and his antics result in the boys being forced to use creative problem-solving to save themselves and the people of Arthur’s court. The dynamics between the boys represent The Power of Teamwork, as well as how Our Differences Make Us Strong.

At the end of the book, Joe wants to time travel again. However, he has learned from this first trip, which is evidenced by his commitment to read The Book and understand how the process works before trying it again.