Middle Ages for Middle Schoolers
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-- School Library Journal, 1/26/2006
With all its pageantry, weaponry, superstition and filth, the Middle Ages offer a lasting appeal for students. Historical fiction provides a way to bring this unique period to life and creates thoughtful learning experiences for middle schoolers. Bring on the boiling oil!
CUSHMAN, Karen. Catherine, Called Birdy. Clarion. 1994. Tr $16. ISBN 0-395-68186-3.
Fourteen-year-old Catherine, who is called Little Bird, or Birdy, lives in medieval England and hates her "lady-lessons." Daily life in the year 1290 is an endless round of needlework, herbal medicine, and dreams of adventure for Catherine, all of which she records in her diary. An authentic look at this time period for young readers.
CADNUM, Michael. The Dragon Throne. Viking. 2005. Tr $16.99. ISBN 0-670-03631-5.
A pair of young knights begin their return home to England after surviving perilous journeys only to discover that Prince John has yet another mission for them. Charged with escorting two women on a dangerous trek over the Alps, they encounter bandits, enemy soldiers, and harsh conditions. No sugarcoating of medieval times in this title, sequel to the popular The Book of the Lion (2000) and The Leopard Sword (2002, both Viking).
WEIL, Sylvie. My Guardian Angel. Arthur A. Levine. 2004. Tr $16.95. ISBN 0-439-57681-4.
An extremely unusual look at the early Middle Ages from a Jewish perspective. Elvina, 12, is bored with her workaday life, until a young deserter from the Crusades asks her to hide him. She does so, at great personal risk, and learns about faith, war, and healing. Based on real people, Weil provides a historically accurate and intriguing picture of society and world affairs in 11th-century France.
Remarkable Reads are produced by the editors of NoveList, NoveList K-8, and Book Index with Reviews (BIR), leading resources for readers' advisory services and collection development. For more information, see epnet.com.
