Jump to:

• What is the So You Want to Be a…. series about?
• Who would the So You Want to Be a…. books be great for?
• How So You Want to Be a Paladin shows your kid’s inner hero
• Our favorite parts about So You Want to Be a Paladin
• Overall thoughts
• Find a copy

What is the So You Want to Be a… series about? 

The So You Want to Be a…. series is a set of books published by Letiman Games that parallels their Questlings tabletop RPG!  Each book focuses on a different character class (your inner hero) and shows how your child can practice their hero skills from the game in positive ways in real life.  The series includes books for the paladin, mage, ranger, druid, bard, and monk that are all found in the Questlings game! For this review, I read So You Want to be a Paladin with my kid, and he really enjoyed it!

Who would the So You Want to Be a… books be great for?

The So You Want to Be a… book series would be great for kids who play tabletop RPGs (whether they are Questlings or another game) and have a favorite character class that they love OR for kids who maybe aren’t into tabletop RPGs yet.  The books don’t require any game knowledge or context, and they show everyday events that kids can relate to even if they don’t know what a tabletop RPG is.

For parents, teachers, and caregivers, this can be a great way to introduce kids to a hobby that you love before actually teaching them the game or to enjoy one of your kid’s books knowing that it reflects some of your interests too.  

How So You Want to Be a Paladin shows your kid’s inner hero

This book series does a fantastic job of comparing everyday events to fantastical adventures in a game.  We read the So You Want to Be a Paladin book from the series, and it showed how helping others open a gate or carrying an injured teammate off the field is a way to channel your inner hero into real life.

The artwork is great and kid-appropriate, plus, it shows a tremendous amount of story without needing a ton of words.  So, it’s a fantastic book for early readers as well.

When we read it, we actually took a while to finish because we stopped to talk about how the kid in the story was being like the knight in the picture – that what he was doing was heroic and helpful.  My kid asked a ton of questions about the pictures, and it prompted some good talks about being a hero in everyday life.

It’s also a great way to show grown ups how tabletop RPGs can help kids.  Playing a certain type of character can help kids think and act a certain way and carry those lessons into real life.  Things like learning to strategize together or prioritizing people instead of scoring points are important lessons that can be practiced in play, and the So You Want to Be a…. series very much showcases this!

Our favorite parts from So You Want to Be a Paladin

My kid’s favorite part was probably when the kid was running into the soccer game, and it was compared to the knight defending his friend from shadowy creatures!  He was very excited and every time we read the book, he wanted to stop there and asked about both the soccer game and the creatures.  

My kid also overall just really liked the book.  It’s been about a week since we first read it, and my partner and I have both read it to him a few times each, as per his request.  He’s been asking for it at every storytime, and he still asks questions about the pictures every time. 

For me, I liked that it showed the paladin doing things that weren’t just fighting – he shielded his hurt friend, strategized, and was generally just helpful.  It had a good emphasis that you can be heroic by doing normal things.  Even the paladin does normal(ish) things and it REALLY helps his friends out!

My overall thoughts on So You Want to Be a Paladin

So You Want to Be a Paladin was a pleasure to read with my kid!  It was engaging for him, had great artwork, and it was a nice nod to a shared interest that we have (so that just makes it extra special).  It focuses on showing positive skills and practices found in tabletop RPGs, and it helps to clearly see some of the benefits tabletop RPGs can have for kids outside of the game too.  The artwork is also amazing and geared well towards kids with some nods to classic tabletop RPGs for adults to pick up on too, and I would highly recommend adding these fun books to your collection!

Find a copy of the So You Want to Be a…. series 

You can find a copy of the So You Want to Be a…. series here on the Letiman Games website along with the companion game, Questlings AND check out their latest kickstarter for the Mage book here!

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