Today I’m showing you some of my favorite books on the Middle Ages and Renaissance for
seventh through ninth graders.
Welcome to the Simply Charlotte Mason podcast.
I'm Sonya Shafer. There are so many great books set in the Middle
Ages and Renaissance! I've been sharing some of my favorites for the different age groups,
and today I want to share my top picks for grades 7 through 9.
These are living books—books that will make the time period come alive for your student.
As usual, they are listed in no specific order. If you want to know the dates that correspond
to each book, follow the link to the blog post. You'll find the dates there.
In Freedom’s Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce by G. A. Hent
G. A. Henty was a master at telling the story of historical events and people authentically.
In Freedom's Cause is about Scotland's fight for independence, and it focuses on the two
men who led in that fight: William Wallace and Robert Bruce. Time has made those men
legendary, but they were real people whose deeds have been recorded in history. This
book tells the gripping tale, full of courage, loyalty, and ingenuity all in an accurate
historical context. Look for other G. A. Henty titles too. You
can find most of his books free online now. And if your children enjoy audiobooks, check
out Jim Hodges wonderful recordings of the entire Henty collection at jimhodgesaudiobooks.com.
The Magna Charta by James Daugherty James Daugherty is another favorite author
who had a passion for the people and events about which he wrote. Beautiful Feet has republished
this book, and I can do no better at describing it than what they put on the back cover.
"In the rich turbulence of English history one day stands magnificently apart—June
15th, 1215, the day of the signing of the Magna Charta. On this day, the first blow
for English freedom was struck and has forever affected the Western World. Here is the story
of three true men, Stephen Langton, Williams Marshal and Hubert de Burgh, whose heroic
deeds are set against those of the ever deceitful and crafty King John.
"The wicked deeds of this king gave rise to the illustrious Robin Hood and his 'Merry
Men in Lincoln Green,' who roamed Sherwood Forest, robbing the rich and giving to the
poor. King Richard the Lion heart, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, Peter of Wakefield and King
Philip all play their part in this saga of adventure and intrigue which culminates at
Runnymeade on a summer day in 1215." This is a wonderful narrative about all of
the parts and pieces that came together in this historic document—the Magna Charta,
or Great Charter, a document that limited the power of government over the rights of
the individual. It laid the foundation for freedom as we know it. And James Daugherty
brings that story into vivid detail in this retelling.
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain My copy of this book is at least 35 years
old. It's a great story that I grabbed many years ago. (Look, it still has my old address
label that uses my maiden name on the inside cover.) This classic Mark Twain novel weaves
a fictional story around two boys who were born on the same day in the same year: one
a prince and one a pauper. Through an interesting turn of events, they end up switching places
for several weeks. Both boys end up learning a lot about life
during the 1500s—among the royalty and among the lower class— and so will your students.
With many twists and turns in the plot, the story keeps you on edge, wondering and anxiously
waiting to see how things will turn out. Because some of the harsher realities and
violence that occurred in the streets during that time period might be disturbing to younger
children, I like to recommend this book for seventh grade and up. Your younger ones could
certainly understand it and follow the storyline, but it might be a bit intense in spots. I
think it's prudent to save this book for your teens; you can decide what will fit your children
best. Look for The Prince and the Pauper free online.
The Shining Company by Rosemary Sutcliff Rosemary Sutcliff writes historical fiction
that is very earthy, gritty, and real. Her characters are multi-faceted, and the events
are not glossy or sugar-coated. Her writing seems to give you a real sense of life in
the moment. In The Shining Company, that moment is early
English history and the invasion of the Saxons. The adventure follows a young man, named Prosper,
who, along with his servant Conn, accompany their king's warriors into battle as shieldbearers.
It's written in first person, with Prosper telling his story as he comes of age and grows
into a man in the early Middle Ages. The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by
Howard Pyle Here's a classic retelling of an English legend.
The book is divided into two parts. The first part is called The Book of Arthur, and it
tells the tale of Arthur's pulling the sword from the anvil, of his meeting Merlin, and
of his courting and marrying Guinevere. The last chapter in that part tells how the Round
Table was formed. The second part of the book contains stories about Merlin the Enchanter,
about Sir Pellias—called The Gentle Knight, and about Sir Gawaine.
I usually assign only the first part, The Book of Arthur, but many students end up finishing
the rest of the book in their leisure time anyway. As is usual with Howard Pyle books,
the writing is in Old English and may take a little getting used to. But you'll soon
find that the storyline is easy to follow and that the Old English wording only adds
to a great time-period experience. This is another classic that you should be able to
find free online. The White Stag by Kate Seredy
Here is a fascinating book that will help your students consider the idea that history
can be told from different points of view. What is a tragedy for one group of people
might be a triumph for another group. That's an important concept to wrap your brain around.
The White Stag tells the story of Attila the Hun from the Huns' point of view. It does
include their battles, but those events are downplayed in favor of giving the bigger picture
of how Attila came to be leader, how he led his people, and what he was like in their
eyes. It's hard to describe the style; the closest
I can come is that it reads almost like a fairy tale. You'll have to read it to see
what I mean. It's relatively short, but provides a lot of good seed for thought and discussion.
And be sure to discuss it with your child, especially the parts that include the Huns'
religious beliefs. Students in grades 7–9 need to have practice verbalizing their beliefs
and comparing and contrasting them to other beliefs that they will encounter in this world.
They also need to understand that any retelling of an event is going to be biased in one direction
or another, and that it's important to hear both sides of a story—whether in history
or in current events. So take advantage of the ideas that The White Stag will introduce
and invite those discussions with your teen. Those are my favorites. I’d love to see
your favorites. And just to add a little fun, we’re going to do a giveaway.
Entering the giveaway will be easy. Just take a picture of one of your favorite living books
in this same category—Middle Ages or Renaissance for grades 7–9—and post it on Instagram,
Twitter, or Facebook with the hashtag "SCMbookgiveaway." It can be a book I've already mentioned or
a different one that you love. Take a picture of it and post it on Facebook, Instagram,
or Twitter with that hashtag, “SCMbookgiveaway." Each picture that you post will be considered
one entry. We will choose an entry at random to receive a free copy of The Magna Charta
by James Daugherty. Enter as many times as you wish, but each entry, each photo, must
feature a different title and they all must be living book recommendations for grades
7–9 on the Middle Ages or Renaissance time period. Got it?
All right, you have two weeks. Entries must be posted by April 10 in order to be entered
for the giveaway. We will notify the winner by private message on the same platform where
your picture was posted. I'm really excited to see your favorite books
pictured with your personal flair. Post those pictures, use the hashtag "SCMbookgiveaway,"
and let's talk books! If you enjoyed this video, subscribe through
iTunes, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or your favorite podcast app so you don’t
miss an episode. You can also subscribe to the audio version of this podcast or read
the blog post on our website at simplycharlottemason.com. All of those links will be in the notes along
with links to the resources I mentioned. Thanks for joining me. Post those pictures,
and I’ll see you next time!