Alvin the Knight, by Ulf Lofgren (picture book)
When Alvin visits a museum and sees an exhibit of medieval costumes, he is suddenly drawn into an imaginary adventure where he gets the opportunity to prove his skill as a knight in a medieval land of kings and castles.
Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Medieval Castle, by Joanna Cole (picture book)
When Ms. Frizzle and her student Arnold follow an underground passage beneath Craig's Castle Shop and find themselves in the middle of a siege of a 12th century English castle, they learn a great deal about both castles and the Middle Ages.
Happily Ever After, by Anna Quindlen (43 p.)
When a girl who loves to read fairy tales is transported back to medieval times, she finds that the life of a princess in a castle is less fun than she imagined.
The Knight at Dawn, by Mary Pope Osborne (65 p.) (see nonfiction companion book below)
Eight-year-old Jack and his younger sister Annie use the magic treehouse to travel back to the Middle Ages, where they explore a castle and are helped by a mysterious knight.
Viking Ships at Sunrise, by Mary Pope Osborne (71 p.)
Their magic tree house takes Jack and Annie back to a monastery in medieval Ireland, where they try to retrieve a lost book while being menaced by Viking raiders.
Joan of Arc of Domremy, by Michael Morpurgo (122 p.)
While sitting on the riverbank in the ancient French city of Orleans, seventeen-year-old Eloise hears a voice which relates the adventures and struggles of the medieval heroine, Joan of Arc, as she fights to free France by driving out the English.
The Puppeteer's Apprentice, by Anne D. Love (186 p.)
A medieval orphan girl called Mouse gains the courage she needs to follow her dreams of becoming a puppeteer's apprentice
The Bookstore Mouse, by Peggy Christian (144 p.)
A mouse living in an antiquarian bookstore learns the true power of words when he
literally falls into a medieval tale and helps defeat the dragon Censor.
Ancient Fire, by Mark London Williams (169 p.)
A twelve-year-old boy from the twenty-first century, a girl from medieval Alexandria, Egypt, and a super-intelligent young saurian from an alternative Earth --each for different reasons-- join together in travels through time and space.
A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park Newberry Medal Winner (152 p.)
Tree-ear, a thirteen-year-old orphan in medieval Korea, lives under a bridge in a potters' village, and longs to learn how to throw the delicate celadon ceramics himself.
Matilda Bone, by Karen Cushman (167 p.)
Fourteen-year-old Matilda, an apprentice bonesetter and practitioner of medicine in a village in medieval England, tries to reconcile the various aspects of her life, both spiritual and practical.
A Walk in Wolf Wood, by Mary Stewart (188 p.)
When a weeping man in a strange costume passes their picnic spot and disappears into the nearby woods, a brother and sister decide to follow him and soon find themselves involved in the rescue of a werewolf in the 14th century.
The Squire's Tale, by Gerald Morris (212 p.)
In medieval England, fourteen-year-old Terence finds his tranquil existence suddenly changed when he becomes the squire of the young Gawain of Orkney and accompanies him on a long quest, proving Gawain's worth as a knight and revealing an important secret about his own true identity.
A Boy and His Bear, by Harriet Graham (196 p.)
Dickon rescues his bear cub friend from certain death at the hands of bear catchers in Medieval England. Told in part from the point of view of the cub.
The Castle in the Attic, by Elizabeth Winthrop (179 p.)
A gift of a toy castle, complete with silver knight, introduces William to an adventure involving magic and a personal quest.
The Battle for the Castle, by Elizabeth Winthrop (211 p.) (sequel to The Castle in the Attic)
Twelve-year-old William uses the magic token to return, through the toy castle in his attic, to the medieval land of Sir Simon, which is now menaced by a skeleton ship bearing a plague of ravenous rats.
What Happened in Hamelin, by Gloria Skurzynski (177 p.)
A novel of the Pied Piper legend told from the standpoint of a 14-year-old baker's assistant who dreams of freedom from his harsh medieval life and of a new life with the piper.
Winning His Spurs: A Tale of the Crusades, by George Alfred Henty (324 p.)
Follows the exploits of a young English boy who travels to the Holy Land and serves in King Richard's army during the Crusades.
The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart (521 p.)
The first book of Stewart's Arthurian saga focuses on the early life of Merlin the magician, and the political developments in fifth-century Britain.
Books to Check Out
Sonoran Desert Homeschoolers'
Medieval Center
Clipart courtesy of
Melissa Snell from About.com's Medieval History
The Renaissance, by Jane Shuter (32 p.) 940.21 Sh94r 2000
An introduction to the various elements of Renaissance life, including religion, trade, education, food, and clothes.
Kids in the Middle Ages, by Lisa A Wroble (24 p.) 940.1 W942k 1997
Describes the life of a child during the Middle Ages, covering such aspects as food, clothing, housing, work, education, holidays, and religion.
Knights and Castles: A Non Fiction Companion to The Knight at Dawn, by Will
& Mary Osborne (119 p.) 940.1 Os18k 2000
What was it like to wear armor? What was the food like in castles? This nonfiction companion to "The Knight at Dawn" explores what life was really like in medieval times.
Castle at War: The Story of a Siege, by Andrew Langley (47 p.) 940.1 L266c 1998
Describes, in brief text and illustrations, how the inhabitants of a medieval castle prepared for war and endured a siege
Medieval times, by Giovanni Di Pasquale, Matilde Bardi (36 p.) 940.1 D625m 2003
Beginning with the fall of the Roman Empire, this book goes on to cover trade, warfare, the origins and growth of the Islamic world, art, religion, daily life, and much more in accessible, two-page chapters.
The Industrial Revolution, by Phillip Wilkinson & Michael Pollard (93 p.) 609 In4i 1995
A fascinating look at the extraordinary story of growing technology. You will discover which were the first machines, where metal and concrete were first used in buildings, how people harnessed wind and water power, and why it took so long to find a use for electricity.
The Medieval World, by Philip Steele (95 p.) 940.1 St324m 2000
Examines various aspects of life during the Middle Ages, including the feudal system, knights and chivalry, life in a castle, and battle during medieval times.
Non-Fiction
Fiction
