Grades 3-5

The Golden Goblet

Book cover: The Golden Goblet
Author(s): 
Eloise Jarvis McGraw

The Golden Goblet is a story set in Ancient Egypt, of a young boy, Ranofer, who dreams of becoming a goldsmith like his father before him. Unfortunately, now that his father is dead, Ranofer lives with his horrible half-brother, Gebu, who has no love for his young charge, keeps him undernourished and beats him whenever he's in a bad mood. In the course of struggling with these things, Ranofer and his two loyal friends get caught up a in a mystery that leads from the revered tombs of the dead all the way to the Pharaoh's palace.

The Rose and Crown

Book cover: The Rose and Crown
Author(s): 
Meriol Trevor

This fourth and final book in the Letzenstein Chronicles tells of young Toby who was found – lost and orphaned – by the eccentric and mysterious Raphael le Marre in a previous book. Raphael ("Raf") seems appropriately named after one of the archangels as he has a way of coming to the rescue of children in trouble and has in fact adopted (along with his wife) some 20 children of his own. In this story Raf brings Toby back to his relatives in London in order to decide his future. Toby has no interest in staying with anyone but Raf.

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.

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 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.

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