Grades 3-5

The Door in the Wall

Book cover: The Door in the Wall
Author(s): 
Marguerite de Angeli

The Door in the Wall is set in England in the 1300's. It tells the story of a young boy who survived the plague. The main character is Robin de Beureford, the son of a nobleman. Robin is suddenly stricken with an illness that cripples him. After the servants leave, fearing the plague, Robin is taken to the monastery of St. Mark's by a kindly monk who heard of his plight.

Pegeen

Book cover: 'Pegeen'
Author(s): 
Hilda Van Stockum
Pegeen is the final book in the Bantry Bay Series, which chronicles the O'Sullivan family of Ireland in the 1930s. In this story, Pegeen, an orphan who was befriended by Francie in the previous story, comes to live with the O'Sullivans while waiting to be sent to her uncle in America. A rather wild girl with very little "upbringing", Pegeen gets into all kinds of trouble and adventures. In the midst of all this she manages to win the hearts of the O'Sullivans and does learn to become more responsible for her actions. The conclusion is very sweet and touching.

St. Therese and the Roses

Book cover: 'St. Therese and the Roses'
Author(s): 
Helen Walker Homan
Therese Martin (1873 - 1897) was the youngest of five girls growing up in a devout Catholic family in France in the late nineteenth century. We all know how, in just over one hundred years she has become one of the most beloved Saints in the Church and has recently been named "Doctor of the Church" by Pope John Paul II. This is the delightful and moving story of a little girl who became a great saint; of five sisters who were all called to religious vocations.

Beorn the Proud

Book cover: 'Beorn the Proud'
Author(s): 
Madeleine Polland
While I believe that textbooks are useful tools in the study of history, they tend to quickly lose the interest of the student if used alone. "Living books" work well when read alongside history textbooks because they bring to life the characters and events related - engaging the imagination and helping the student to more fully understand the signifiance of the people and events being studied. Beorn the Proud is such a story - an exciting, dramatic tale, full of real characters and accurate historical information.

The Secret of Pooduck Island

Book cover: 'The Secret of Pooduck Island'
Author(s): 
Alfred Noyes
This is a story with many layers waiting to be discovered. On the surface, it's about a lonely boy who likes to spend time with his squirrel friends. The townspeople think him strange, but he is better understood by the priest. The squirrels and the boy have interesting adventures and the tale is engaging in itself. It's not hard to see, however, that there's more to the story than this - but what exactly is "the Secret"? An Indian with a beautiful old rosary and a very sad tale adds to the mystery.

Caddie Woodlawn

Book cover: Caddie Woodlawn
Author(s): 
Carol Ryrie Brink
Illustrator(s): 
Trina Schart Hyman

Caddie Woodlawn is the story of a young tom-boyish girl who grew up in pioneer Wisconsin during the Civil War (this story predates the first book of the Little House series by about 25 years – but they are quite close geographically). Caddie's father was the grandson of an English Lord, but as his mother was from the lower classes, his father was disowned and the family grew up impoverished. He emigrated to America where he married a charming Boston lady with whom he raised a family of eight children. They moved to Wisconsin when Caddie (short for Caroline) was very young.

The White Stag

Book cover: 'The White Stag'
Author(s): 
Kate Seredy
The White Stag by Kate Seredy is the telling of the legend of the migration of the Huns and Magyars out of Asia to the great Hungarian plains. It begins with Nimrod, an ancient leader of a wandering people who are always moving west, seeking a land that had been promised to them by their gods. At a moment of despair, his people sick and starving, Nimrod receives a message from his god, Hadur, which gives him hope and brings on his death.

The Children's Homer

Book cover: 'The Children's Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy'
Author(s): 
Padraic Colum
The Children's Homer is an epic adventure about the Trojan War and the homecoming of Odysseus. The two famous tales, The Iliad and The Odyssey, were originally written by Homer, a renowned poet in Ancient Greece. Mr. Colum retells these stories for us. My family used this book as a read-aloud, and enjoyed it immensely. We were all thrilled by the gripping stories and the detailed pictures. It's an excellent book to use when studing Anciect Greece. I would give it five *****rating.

The Legend of Odysseus

Book cover: The Legend of Odysseus
Author(s): 
Peter Connolly
The Legend of Odysseus, by British author Peter Connolly, was first published in 1986. It tells the legend of the Trojan War and of the homecoming of Odysseus. The Legend of Odysseus is a wonderful recounting of Homer's classic tales, The Iliad and The Odyessey. The most outstanding feature is the vivid, full-color drawings in every page. This book is suitable for most children, ages 10-16. There are additonal informative pages telling about life in Ancient Greece. My only caution is that it has some questionable pictures in it.

Pages