Medieval England

Children's Literature

Like a Gobelin tapestry, this book weaves together many threads to produce a rich picture of medieval England. It begins with the story of rulers and battles won and lost, which is all too often the primary way history is told. But the book doesn't stop there. It goes on to tell about what life was like for ordinary people. How people worked, where they lived, how they worshipped and what they might have read are all described in a clear and interesting way. The final chapter, "There Will Always be an England," shows how the culture of medieval England lives on today in many ways. To further explain medieval life, a number of specialized pages cover topics like "English from Old to Modern," "Chaucer's Three Estates," "If You Lived in Medieval England," showing the path of life for a girl or boy born in a country village, and "Comparing the Comforts of Home" with descriptions of homes in village, town and castle. Complicated words are gracefully defined within the text with pronunciations included so the reader does not have to stop to look up something in the glossary. The many illustrations include pictures from Medieval times, Pre-Raphaelite paintings, photographs and maps. The book ends with a time line for medieval England, a glossary, further reading suggestions along with on-line information, a bibliography and an index. Told in a style clear enough for children, the material will be of equal value to adults. 2002, Benchmark Books/Marshall Cavendish, $28.50. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Janet Crane Barley