Hello all,
I'd like to thank you for the large amount of responses I received on
this topic. Even with all of the suggestions I received (and as you can
see below, it's a lot!), I still had only about five of the books
recommended, and those were ones we'd consider "classics." That just
means that I'll be doing some ordering in this area for next year, and I
really appreciate the suggestions from all of you, because now I know what
to order!
I will include all of the comments received below (and this makes for a
very, very LONG email - sorry!), but first, I've
extracted the authors and titles mentioned as I did get a lot of repeat
suggestions. That way, those of you looking just for those don't need to
scroll all the way through.
Thanks!
Kelly Lasher
School Library Media Specialist
Middle Township High School
Cape May Court House, NJ
kjtomlin@eden.rutgers.edu
Author/Title list:
Alexander, Lloyd.
Alphin, Elaine Marie. Tournament of Time.
Avi. Crispin, the Cross of Lead. (and sequel)
Barron, T.A.
Cadnum. Book of the Lion and its sequel.
Clavell, James. Shogun.
Cornwell, Bernard. The Last Kingdom (others in series).
Cromwell, Bernard. The Winter King (first in series).
De Angeli, Marguerite. The Door in the Wall.
Dumas, Alexander. The Three Musketeers.
Farmer, Nancy. Sea of Trolls.
Flanagan, John. The Ruins of Gorlan: Ranger’s Apprentice.
Grant, K.M. Blood Red Horses.
Hearn, Lian. Tales of the Otori: Across the Nightingale Floor. (and)
Grass for His Pillow. (and) Brilliance of the Moon. (and) The Harsh Cry
of the Heron.
Holland, Kevin Crossley. The Seeing Stone (and) At the Crossing Places
(and) King of the Middle March.(trilogy).
Hunter. King’s Swift Rider.
Jinks, Catherine. The Pagan Chronicles.
L’Amour, Louis. The Walking Drum.
Llywelyn, Morgan.
McCaffrey, Anne. Black Horses for the King.
McKinley, Robin. Hero and the Crown. (and) The Blue Sword.
Morris, Gerald. The Squire’s Tale Series.
Myers, Walter Dean. The Legend of Tarik.
Pierce, Tamora. Alanna (series).
Price. Sterkarm Handshake.
Pyle, Howard. Men of Iron. (and) Otto of the Silver Hand.
Roberts, Judson. Viking Warrior.
Scott, Sir Walter. Ivanhoe.
Springer, Nancy. I am Mordred. (and) I am Morgan le Fay.
Sutcliff, Rosemary. Sword at Sunset. (and) Light Beyond the Forest. (and)
Road to Camlann. (and). Sword and the Circle. (many others).
Salvatore, R.A. Sword of Bedwyr.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Stewart, Mary. Crystal Cave (part of Merlin Trilogy).
Sutcliff, Rosemary.
Tolkien, J.R.R. Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Tristan and Isolt.
Twain, Mark. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.
White, T.H. The Sword in the Stone.
Whyte, Jack. (Arthurian type series.)
Yolen, Jane and Robert Harris. Girl in a Cage.
Individual comments:
We've been snowed out of school.
Perhaps books by Lloyd Alexander or Gerald Morris would be good. Also
T.A. Barron or Nancy Springer.
Not my forte either.
***
This is delayed response but here are some suggestions:
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott (the iconic novel of this period)
Tristan and Isolt
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Ernie Pyle's books about King Arthur, etc.
Mary Stewarts's Merlin/King Arthur adventures: Crystal Cave is the first
one; there
are a few more...very good reads
Superb Sci-fi version of knights, lords and ladies: the DUNE series! Once
and Future King
Hobbit and Tolkien trilogy
Movie: Camelot
***
Try Michael Cadnum's books for this time period -The Book of the Lion is
one. Also,
a trilogy by K.M. Grant - only two out so far, the first is Blood Red
Horse. I
really enjoyed it! Then there are the books by Gerald Morris that start
with The
Squire's Tale. I think these would fit what he is looking for.
***
I enjoyed reading Michael Cadmun's trilogy set during Richard the Lion
Hearted's time. Very realistic fighting, and, yes, he discusses brutality
of medieval warfare within the story.
I typed in Michael Cadmun's name into google, and this 5th grade teacher's
historical fiction list came up -
http://staff.fcps.net/srdunn/historical_fiction_reading_list.htm
And this web site by Nancy Keane on medieval fantasy books.
http://nancykeane.com/rl/916.htm
I hope these two web site's give you some ideas.
***
Some of Cadnum's books might work. He has several that take place during
the
middle ages and a couple with Robin Hood as a main character. Check
Titlewave for
descriptions.
Also, there is a series by Tamora? Pierce that begins with Alanna.... ,
but it is
about a young girl who dresses like a boy to become a knight's squire.
There are
about 4 or 5 books in the series now, and she does become a knight. How
about the Sword in the Stone by T. H. White?
Some of Rosemary Sutcliffe's titles might work, too.
***
Maybe "The Book of the Lion" by Michael Cadnum? It's about a boy from
England who goes off with the Crusades.
***
Your student might like The Last Kingdom and the
subsequent books in this series by Bernard Cornwell.
It is adult fiction set in the 9th century detailing
Saxon-Viking battles. My daughter, a high school
junior, read it last summer and loved it.
***
Have you considered the Squire's Tales series by Gerald Morris? Also the
Pagan Chronicles series by Catherine Jinks?
***
Did you suggest the Kitchen Knights series to him? The books are thin, but
may lean to much to fantasy for his taste.
***
Very old, but maybe Men of Iron (by Pyle I think)
***
Door in the Wall. I don't know if this book would help--it is a short
chapter book
that won the Newberry several years ago. Although it is supposedly for
younger kids, I find that some high schoolers are better geared for it
simply because of the language being "old English". I love
it and have had students love it with me, and others who just
couldn't get into it.
***
There is a Pendragon Cycle series that I think the middle school students
enjoy.
Also look up perma-bound.com. That company offers a short description of
the book.
***
Maybe The Blood Red Horse by K.M. Grant...it's the first book in a trilogy.
***
Also:
SHOGUN. This is a really great read!
***
What about Rosemary Sutcliff, who has specialized in medieval and earlier
historical
fiction? Depending on his reading interest, Lindsey Davis has her Roman
detective
series also that touches on conflicts and wars of that period. Also, Avi's
two
Crispin books are an earlier time period with political conflict.
Since I have been in elementary level for the last few years I am a little
rusty
about more current authors dealing with earlier time periods.
***
I'm not sure from your post how old the student is, but if he is
middle school or older, I would recommend I Am Mordred by Nancy
Springer. It is told from the perspective of King Arthur's abandoned son
who tries to thwart the prophesy that says he will grow up to kill King
Arthur.
Please feel free to check out my website for more suggestions.
http://www.bookwink.com
--
Sonja Cole
Bookwink.com, video booktalks for kids
sonja@bookwink.com
http://www.bookwink.com
***
How about some of Rosemary Sutcliff's titles?
Sword at Sunset
Light Beyond the F orest
Road to Camlann
Sword and the Circle
(and about 20 more.....)
***
Also Mary Stewart's, Crystal Cave is a part of the Merlin Trilogy.Maybe
_Girl in a Cage_ will fit the bill. Can't recall the author, as I am home
on
snow day. Hope this helps.
***
Here are a couple of books that come to mind as possibilities: Avi's
Crispin and the Cross of Lead (I haven't read the sequel), McKinley's Hero
and the Crown, and The Blue Sword ('though they may be too long.)
***
Kelly, Louis L'Amour The Walking Drum might fill the bill for this
student. It is set in Medieval times.
***
http://www.wheaton.lib.il.us/library/rlarthur.html
Check out this page and see if you see anything your student might like. ***
You might want to try the following:
*Blood Red Horse by K.M. Grant (trilogy, set in the Crusades, very
bloody, boys
love it)
*The Ruins of Gorlan: Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan (trilogy,
along the
lines of Lord of the Rings)
***
> Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi and its sequel are good. Also
>The Book of the Lion by Michael Cadnum and its sequel (the time of King
Richard and the Crusades). They both have lots of shields and swords.
Oh another one during the time of the Vikings is Sea of Trolls by Nancy
Farmer - lots of fighting with swords. Hope these help.
***
Hi-I have an old book that my middle school boys will read when I put it in
their hands-Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle. Good historical
fiction-130p
***
What about Kevin Crossley Holland's Arthur Trilogy - The Seeing Stone, At
the Crossing Places and King of the Middle March?
I have them in my Middle School collection, but the might work...
***
Bernard Cornwell - writes a several different series - one called
Sharpe is based on 100 Years War - another Grail Quest deals with search
for the Holy Grail - etc.
Jack Whyte
Morgan Llywelyn
Howard Pyle - Men of Iron
Tamora Pierce
***
please use my historical fiction site
http://bookgirl3.tripod.com/historicalfiction.html
Kim
Beech Grove Public Library
Beech Grove, IN
***
Jack Whyte is very popular in my library. He has an Arthurian type series
that is very good. This is his website. http://www.camulod.com/index
php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=3&Itemid=9
***
Have you ever seen the series by Gerald Morris: 1st: The Ballad of Sir
Dinadan.
My students, both boys and girls enjoy the series.
***
Bernard Cromwell has a series of Aurthur books, the first is The Winter King.
***
This is a bit off-base but what about Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori:
Across the Nightingale Floor (see description below), Grass for His
Pillow, Brilliance of the Moon, and the just-released The Harsh Cry of the
Heron?
Amazon.com
The debut novel of Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori series, Across the
Nightingale Floor, is set in a feudal Japan on the edge of the
imagination. The tale begins with young Takeo, a member of a subversive
and persecuted religious group, who returns home to find his village in
flames. He is saved, not by coincidence, by the swords of Lord Otori
Shigeru and thrust into a world of warlords, feuding clans, and
political scheming. As Lord Otori's ward, he discovers he is a member by
birth of the shadowy "Tribe," a mysterious group of assassins with
supernatural abilities.
Hearn sets his tale in an imaginary realm that is and isn't feudal Japan.
This device serves the author well as he is able to play with familiar
archetypes--samurai, Shogun, and ninja--without falling prey to the
pitfalls of history. The novel fills a unique niche that is at once period
piece and fantasy novel. Hearn unfolds the tale of Takeo and the
conflicting forces around him in a deliberate manner that leads to a
satisfying conclusion and sets the stage for the rest of the series.
--Jeremy Pugh --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition
of this title.
***
The Legend of Tarik by Walter Dean Myers is a possibility. The
setting is mideval North Africa, but the novel isn't as approachable as
his other work. You also might consider the Dumas' novels. The Three
Musketeers is a great swashbuckler.
***
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court was one that liked when I was
in high school. By Twain.
***
A few years ago in Indiana, I had author Elaine Marie Alphin come and we
used her book Tournament of Time with our 6th grade. They LOVED it. It
might be a bit low reading level but he might like it. It does involve a
bit of fantasy (time travel) but it was pretty well done.
***
I don't know if you will have any of these, but Rosemary Sutcliff wrote a
number of
books about historical Britain: Roman era all the way up to about the
1600s. Almost
all of hers other than Warrior Scarlet have significant battles and are very
exciting, but they are challenging in terms of description and language. ***
Maybe he would like Viking Warrior by Judson Roberts. It looks thick, but
just open it up... The pages have pretty wide margins so it isn't really
as much reading as one might think. It isn't my usual type of book (kind
of gory), but I actually read it all the way through and enjoyed it. My
blog review of it: http://propernoun.net/?p=263
***
Blood Red Horse by KM Grant is set during the Crusades, and is not
fantasy! There is even a sequel, with the 3rd just coming out.
Viking Warrior by Judson is another one my boys have liked.
***
Please recommend The Squire's Tale series by Gerald Morris. While there
isn't a ton of "fighting" it does deal with knights and medieval times and
the characters are human. Morris has taken traditional Arthurian legends
and rewritten them for the middle school/upper elementary set. There are
eight titles in the series....so far.
***
How about *Blood Red Horse* by K. M. Grant. It takes place during the
crusades.
***
Sword of Bedwyr
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