Death and Disease

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-Clear, well-organized texts along with full-color reproductions of art and artifacts and photos of period structures immerse readers in many aspects of medieval life and offer sufficient information for reports. The first title discusses the role of the church in medieval art; prominent cathedrals of the Romanesque and Gothic periods; Moorish and Islamic influences in Eastern Europe; manuscript illumination; and castles, manors, and more. Disease explains the practice of medicine during the Middle Ages, including the influence of Hippocrates and Galen, and the Church. The symptoms, transmission, and treatment of Black Death and leprosy are described as is the impact of these diseases on the religious, social, and economic lives of the people. Education explores the range of learning opportunities from apprenticeships to grammar and song schools, monastic schools, and universities, and discusses the rise of humanism. In all three books, distinctive borders surround the top and sides of the beautifully designed spreads, and the texts are presented in small, accessible sections with glossary words in bold, cross-references, captions, and sidebars. These books are welcome supplements to more in-depth titles, such as Earl Rice, Jr.'s Life During the Middle Ages (Gale, 1998) and Barbara A. Hanawalt's The Middle Ages (Oxford, 1998). Fans of Andrew Langley's picture-rich Medieval Life (Knopf, 1996) and Antony Mason's If You Were There in Medieval Times (S & S, 1996) will want to continue their studies with Ross's and Woolf's compelling books.-Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.