Medieval History for Littles
A recommended reading list for the younger years
Last year I shared with you all the list of books I made and used with my daughter in her first round of ancient history. I’ve gotten numerous requests to share my list for the next year of history, so here it is, having freshly worked through it this past school year with my daughter. This list is designed for the first time you go through the middle ages in a four-year history cycle, with the idea that you’ll build upon it when you come back around to this time period in the future. Some of these books I even intend to use again on our second round of medieval history. This list is inspired by many different book lists, including Ambleside Online, Beautiful Feet Books, and All Through the Ages. As a general pattern, I like to include an overview book, some myths/folklore, and biographies and picture books concerning the era.
Term 1: Early Middle Ages, Vikings
Overview book: Our Island Story -H. E. Marshall (first 27 chapters). Optional second overview book: The Story of the Middle Ages -Guerber. You could definitely just use Our Island Story, especially if you want a lighter load, but I wanted to cover the other European countries as well, beyond just England, so I opted to also use the Guerber history book. I skipped over the chapters in Guerber that were about England, and focused on the other chapters.
Trial and Triumph -Richard Hannula
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table -Emma Sterne and Perceval -John Perkins. There are definitely other options for covering King Arthur: these are two illustrated books I already had, and so we used them. Howard Pyle and Roger Lancellyn Green wrote two of the classic children’s versions of the story, so those would be good alternates.
Beowulf -Nicky Raven. The art in this book is by John Howe and is absolutely stunning.
Leif the Lucky and Norse Myths -D’Aulaire
Viking Tales -Jeannie Hall
The Sword in the Tree and Viking Adventure-Clyde Bulla. Both are good early reader chapter books.
The Kitchen Knight-Margaret Hodges
St Patrick -Tomie dePaola
The Silk Route -John Major
St. Conrad and the Wildfire -Maura McKeegan
Term 2: Mid-Late Middle Ages
Overview: Our Island Story -H. E. Marshall (next 22 chapters). Optional second overview book: The Story of the Middle Ages -Guerber (60 some chapters- to the end)
Trial and Triumph -Richard Hannula
Robin Hood -Robert Blaisdell or Robin Hood -Howard Pyle
Stories from the Faerie Queen -Mary Macleod. This book is long and has many different characters. I opted to do it this year both for history and for literature, switching this in for Pilgrim’s Progress. I think it was well worth the time spent reading it, and it was one of my daughter’s absolute favorites from the year.
The Little Duke -Charlotte Yonge
Otto of the Silver Hand -Howard Pyle
Castle and Cathedral -David Macaulay
The Minstrel in the Tower -Gloria Skurzynski. An early reader chapter book
Castle Diary -Richard Platt. An intermediate reader chapter book.
Hildegard of Bingen -Demi
Ambrose and the Cathedral Dream -Margo Sorenson
Saint George and the Dragon -Margaret Hodges
The Hawk of the Castle -Danna Smith
Joan of Arc -Diane Stanley
The Apple and the Arrow -Mary and Conrad Buff
Blockhead -Joseph D’Agnese
A Medieval Feast -Aliki
Term 3: Renaissance and Reformation
Overview: Our Island Story -H. E. Marshall (next 13 chapters). Optional second overview book: The Story of the Renaissance and Reformation -Guerber
Canterbury Tales -Deluxe Golden Book. I found this at the thrift store, and it’s no longer in print, but if you should happen to find it, snatch it up! It was such a great children’s edition of this classic medieval book.
Trial and Triumph -Richard Hannula. I did not love the Reformation chapters in this book, as it’s coming from a Reformed perspective and not a Lutheran perspective. It becomes very clear that the authors hold people as heroes if they do not believe in the true presence, and that’s a bummer. This comes up a few times in early parts, but it comes to the forefront in the Reformation, of course. I ended up skipping a lot of these, especially since the reformers were covered in the Guerber history book, and I gave special attention to Luther through the Paul Maier book below.
Door in the Wall -Marguerite de Angeli
The Pied Piper of Hamelin -Browning
Marco Polo -Demi
The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane -C M Millen
Marguerite Makes a Book -Bruce Robertson
Gutenberg’s Gift -Nancy Willard. A pop-up book about the making of the printing press. If you can find a copy, your child will be delighted with it.
From the Good Mountain -James Rumford. A much easier to come by book about Gutenberg.
Chanticleer and the Fox -Barbara Cooney
Pippo the Fool -Tracey Fern
Martin Luther -Paul Maier
Leonardo, Beautiful Dreamer -Robert Byrd
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Good Queen Bess, and Bard of Avon -Diane Stanley. All four of these biographies are excellent for children. If you only want to get one da Vinci and Michelangelo book, of the two I have listed for each, these are the ones you want.
The Stone Giant -Jane Sutcliffe. This book is on the making of Michelangelo’s David, and the statue is fully depicted (nude) on a few pages, so some readers may be uncomfortable with that. Preview it if you’re worried.
I, Galileo -Bonnie Christenson
Starry Messenger -Peter Sis
While the exploration and discovery of America happens simultaneously with the Reformation and Renaissance, I did not cover that this year. To me, it makes better thematic sense to cover that next year, in the early modern history cycle, when the history of our own country comes to the forefront. Therefore, while I mentioned a few times in passing to my daughter that this was happening at the same time, you will find no books covering that in this list. For this reason, I also chose to end our reading of Our Island Story at chapter 74, saving the Pilgrims in chapter 75 for next year.