Historic fiction Renaissance for boy?

[regentrude]

DS11 will begin studying the Renaissance. Most of the literature suggestions on the reading lists I found were for Middle Ages (and he read a lot of them).

What do your boys read for Renaissance?

DD liked the series by Caroline Meyers about the women surrounding Henry VIII (Catharine, Mary, Anne Boleyn...), but since those are written as first person narratives of the girls and women, I am not sure my son will find them so interesting. Is there anything similar for male characters?

I know that I will have him read the (or a selection of the) Shakespeare stories by Garfield - but what else?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[swimmermom3]

DS11 will begin studying the Renaissance. Most of the literature suggestions on the reading lists I found were for Middle Ages (and he read a lot of them).

What do your boys read for Renaissance?

DD liked the series by Caroline Meyers about the women surrounding Henry VIII (Catharine, Mary, Anne Boleyn...), but since those are written as first person narratives of the girls and women, I am not sure my son will find them so interesting. Is there anything similar for male characters?

I know that I will have him read the (or a selection of the) Shakespeare stories by Garfield - but what else?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

Tibaldo and the Hole in the Calendar, Shimony

The Second Mrs. Gioconda, Konigsburg

Leonardo da Vinci, Hahn

Adam of the Road, Gray

The Ramsey Scallop, Temple

The Legend of El Cid, Goldston

The Shakespeare Stealer, Blackwood

The Road to Damietta, O'Dell

I, Juan de Pareja, Trevino

Master Cornhill, McGraw (1665, London-not quite in your range, but a good book)

The Apprentice, Alonso

 

I hope this helps. I will be curious to hear what else is recommended. Eliana can be counted on to suggest some lesser-known, well-written books.

[Lori D.]

In addition to these that SwimmerMom3 mentioned:

The Second Mrs. Gioconda, Konigsburg (1500s)

Adam of the Road, Gray (more medieval in setting)

The Shakespeare Stealer, Blackwood (early 1600s)

 

I love The Great and Terrible Quest by Margaret Lovett. (It was out of print, but has been re-issued as part of Sonlight's Core 6. You can also find it used sometimes) -- but it is more of a medieval than Renaissance setting.

 

A fun, fast read -- historical action-adventure (set in the late 1500s) -- is The Fighting Prince of Donegal by Robert Reilly (original title: Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal). (He fights; he escapes from prison; he takes over his father's kingdom as a young man... what more could boys want?! :tongue_smilie:)

 

How about The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain -- set in the mid 1500s; fictitious story of Henry VIII's son and a peasant look-alike swapping places for awhile and getting into misadventures.

 

And, I know nothing about this one, but it looked interesting: House of Windjammer (Richardson) -- set in 1600s Amsterdam.

[regentrude]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I just checked our local library's catalog- they only have TWO of those books.

Yes, I know there is interlibrary loan... I am still waiting for Daugherty's Magna Carta book I ordered in August! Oh the joy of living in a small town.

 

Please keep the suggestions coming.