I read this to my nine year old son and he soon got quite caught up in the story. Susan Cooper's mix of adventure, Arthurian legend, mystery, and the eternal struggle between good and evil (nicely consistent with our Christian beliefs) worked very well, as we eagerly anticipate the next books in the series. My son has read through all the Harry Potter books on this own, and he loved hearing this tale.Parents, there are quite contrived plot devices and implausibilities that strain credulity. There's not only a deus ex machina, there is literally a canus ex machina--a plot twist involving a dog. Also, the final rescue scene is hardly plausible, but that hardly matters because of the action. Finally, the problem with the moon's position in finding the grail applies to the sun as well. Ignore all that and enjoy the good story with your children. Highly recommended.