A Wee Bit of Background

The medieval story of a farm boy named Gallant had already been in development for several years when the project expanded into a book + kit. The idea was to place a young reader into the classroom as the story’s character was taught by a famous knight.

So I started with a wooden castle, branded it with my story nameplate, and then began to fill it with unique crafts and gifts that fit the storyline. When Gallant receives a real deerskin money bag in his lesson about generosity, the reader is sent to the Castle Kit to retrieve one of the crafts – all the pieces needed to assemble his own deerskin money bag. When Gallant learns to write a meaningful letter with a real feather quill and ink, so does the reader. The goal was to avoid plastic and mass-produced trinkets; and to create a one-of-a-kind keepsake that would encourage young boys to develop good habits and proper thinking. Carefully coordinated Biblical references create a solid foundation for the boy-to-young-man transition. 

I knew that learning to be a knight would be great fun. The concept that a knight’s suit of armor could be the final prize in this interactive castle kit made this a challenge worthy of investment. 

What I’ve written and assembled is an engaging project I believe any young boy would love to tackle. I hope you’ll agree.

Mary Bustamante, Author

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Watch for Raising Lady Grace, expected in 2023.