William the Conqueror and the Normans

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6 This poorly written British publication reads as though it were condensed from a longer work. A mixture of facts, some significant and others trivial, are compressed into a few paragraphs under headings which include not only William the Conqueror, but also castle building, feudalism, battles and daily life in town and country. Notably absent are descriptions of William's government, the structure of family and village life and other topics of recent attention and research. Each double-page spread features a full-color illustration plus occasional small decorations or reproductions from medieval sources. The book ends with the death of Stephen in 1154. Young readers, attracted by the action-oriented drawings, will be disappointed to find too much encyclopedic information and too little explication. If they persist to the final chapter, they may learn that the Normans brought ``strong government,'' built ``magnificent castles'' and ``improved the religious life of the nation . '' They will never learn why. The best section of the book is the list of books for further reading, which suggest better titles than this one. Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, N.J.