Michelle T Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 This is for a 5th grade boy who likes adventure and action. There are so many books for the Middle Ages, I just cannot narrow my read alouds down to just a couple! Michelle T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda in Kiwiland Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 Otto of the Silver Hand by Pyle is wonderful - a pleasure to read and lots to learn. Also The Kings Shadow by Elizabeth Alder I think. It is about a boy who becomes squire to King Harrold and goes to Battle of Hastings. Warning - he gets a pretty rough start with family dying and having his tongue cut out but it is well worth it. These 2 are the books we have read both times through this time period of history - we have also enjoyed many of the more common recommendations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 I'm probably going to skip with one in grammar stage, but One is One by Barbara Leonie Picard is an excellent read dealing with both monastic and courtly life. There are a number of classics I'd definitely consider, such as Ivanhoe and The Black Arrow, and books by Rosemary Sutcliff and Howard Pyle. Also look at Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame). He's a medievalist who has written some engaging historical fiction, and his Medieval Lives, though nonfiction, is also engaging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 (edited) sorry... Edited October 6, 2008 by Jill I abused the apostrophe! oh the shame! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Also look at Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame). He's a medievalist who has written some engaging historical fiction, and his Medieval Lives, though nonfiction, is also engaging. Terry Jones has done some documentaries that we adore. In my book a 5th grade boy could handle the Barbarians and Crusades set. Barbarians would be at the very beginning of Medieval Ages studies as it also deals with the fall of Rome. Crusades, well, that's obvious. (Story of One is about the history of the number One and a bit off topic here.) imho these are must-sees but you might want other feedback. And certainly I would recommend a parent watching _with_ the student to explain some of the more emotionally difficult issues in these - esp Crusades. - Jill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntPol Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Well this is actually a recommend against a book AS A READ ALOUD. Beorn the Proud is listed on many lists for viking studies. It is a good book and interesting but IMHO, it is not suitable for reading aloud, especially to elementary age students. The chapters are very long (20 + pages) and it doesn't have natural stopping points within chapter either. The book is not a book that is easy to read aloud either. It just doesn't flow well. I hate to not finish books but we didn't finish this one. After 7 chapters, both my children were still begging me not to read it. Usually, they beg for more when I read. My son much preferred Viking Tales from the Ambleside reading list. On the other hand, I think it a great independent read for middle school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in Toronto Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 These are the ones that we did when DS was in fifth grade... Shadow Spinner (S. Fletcher) - very exciting Beorn the Proud (M. Pollard) - ditto comments by previous poster - a hard slog Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver (Konigsberg) - worthwhile, but not too compelling The Door in the Wall (Marguerite de Angeli) - slow start, but worth persevering Tibaldo and the Hole in the Calendar (Shimony) - great story The Prince and the Pauper (Twain – Abridged) - can't remember which version we read, but a great story Don Quixote (Oxford Illustrated Classics – abridged) - excellent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABQmom Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 I would agree with most of the suggestions you've already been given. I just want to add Adam of the Road. It was our very favorite book, and we learned much about the Middle Ages from that book. If I had to just read one book on the Middle Ages, Adam of the Road would be it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Shadow Spinner Beorne the Proud King Arthur Robin Hood We read St Augustine Came to Kent but I cant recall if we read that for the end of our vol 1 selections or the beginning of vol 2. Sword in the Tree. This one is a bit young but very good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shasta Mom Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Moira - Can you give some more details on "One is One"? I'm considering buying it because I can't find it on ILL. It would be a read aloud for my almost 10 ds. We're doing SOTW 2 this year, and he liked Otto of the Silver hand, Sir Gawain, Beowulf, various King Arthur and Robin Hoods (simplified),and now we're half way through Beorn the Proud, and still enthralled with it (contrary to the experiences of several posters). I plan on doing Adam of the Road, and one or two more read alouds..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I'm probably going to skip with one in grammar stage, but One is One by Barbara Leonie Picard is an excellent read dealing with both monastic and courtly life. There are a number of classics I'd definitely consider, such as Ivanhoe and The Black Arrow, and books by Rosemary Sutcliff and Howard Pyle. Also look at Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame). He's a medievalist who has written some engaging historical fiction, and his Medieval Lives, though nonfiction, is also engaging. If you have netflix Terry Jones' Medieval Lives DVD is available on the play now feature. I am previewing them to use next year. The first part was great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 It might be on the easy side for a fifth grader, but don't miss Robin Hood! We read the version sold by Sonlight, and it was a huge hit with the whole family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 The Geraldine McCaughrean retelling is wonderful. You can't miss Sinbad and Ali Baba and the tons of other equally good stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyNellen Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Sword Song and Adam of the Road were big hits here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Moira - Can you give some more details on "One is One"? I'm considering buying it because I can't find it on ILL. It would be a read aloud for my almost 10 ds.There are some spoilers here, but it gives you an idea of the scope of the novel: Mid 14th century England, a young, solitary boy -- mercilessly picked on by his family -- dreams of being a knight but is summarily shipped off to a monastery instead. He hates it and escapes, becomes a squire to a father figure of a knight and eventually becomes a knight himself. He's given charge on an entirely disagreeable boy for a squire, and softens towards him just in time to work out his own family problems (symbolically in a joust) and for the squire to die of smallpox. In the end he comes almost full circle, back at the monastery he started out in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShelzNH Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 We are finishing up middle ages. Our favorite read aloud this year was Adam of the Road Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 (edited) Maybe not a classic or historically accurate, but our favorite was Catherine, Called Birdy. ;) And we loved Seamus Heaney's telling of Beowulf. http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_HIGH_000257&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes LOVED Pyle's Robin Hood! And we topped it off with some fun and watched BBC's Robin Hood. We never got to Trumpet of Krakow. Not sure if it's good as a read aloud. http://www.amazon.com/Trumpeter-Krakow-Eric-P-Kelly/dp/0689715714/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273627422&sr=8-1 Edited May 12, 2010 by lisabees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crimsonkelley Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 So excited to come across this thread b/c we will be doing the Middle Ages in the fall!! Thanks for all the great books listed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just-a-mom Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Yes--while an old thread, it should help get me out of a rut. We're in the middle of SOTW 2 now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Yes--while an old thread, it should help get me out of a rut. We're in the middle of SOTW 2 now. THANK YOU! We'll be doing SOTW 2 in the fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 The Door in the Wall is a favorite here. We just read Ivanhoe and Robin Hood and 11 year old loved them. Men of Iron is good. Horrible Histories are great fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Have you tried Avi's Crispin books? They were very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamatohaleybug Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 We've really enjoyed the following this year: Adam of the Road Gabriel and the Hour Book The Midwife's Apprentice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 ... coming across the 1001 Arabian Nights made me wonder about other options for esp. good read-alouds of the other-than-European variety ... :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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