J/F/ALDER
Alder, ElizabethThe King’s Shadow
After a brutal attack in which his tongue is cut out and his father killed, Evyn is sold as a slave and must serve many masters, from the gracious Lady Swan Neck to the valiant Harold Godwinson, England’s last Saxon king. 259 p., Grades 5 – 8

J/F/AVI
AviCrispin: The Cross of Lead
Crispin, an English orphan, flees his village where he is being hunted for a murder he did not commit. 262 p., Grades 5 – 8

J/F/CADNUM
Cadnum, MichaelThe Book of the Lion
Edmund, awaiting punishment for his master’s crimes, escapes this fate by becoming a squire for a knight-crusader on his way to join Richard Lionheart in the Holy Land. 204 p., Grades 6 – 8

J/F/CROSSLEY-HOLLAND
Crossley-Holland, KevinThe Seeing Stone
In the year 1199, Arthur de Caldicot discovers that his life strangely resembles that of King Arthur, and he sees glimpses of the first Arthur’s life through a stone given to him by his teacher, Merlin. 342 p., Grades 4 – 8

J/F/CUSHMAN
Cushman, KarenThe Midwife’s Apprentice
An orphaned girl, known only as “brat,” is taken in by the town’s sharp-tempered midwife. Here, Brat receives midwifery training, enough to eat and a real name. 122 p., Grades 5 – 8

J/F/ELLIS
Ellis, DeborahA Company of Fools
Henri, a choirboy in medieval France, recalls the story of Micah, a street urchin who sang like an an-gel, and of their life together in a monastery during the Black Plague of 1348. 180 p., Grades 5 – 8

J/F/GOODMAN
Goodman, Joan E.Peregrine
Anxious to avoid marrying someone she detests, Lady Edith sets off from her home in England on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem with her brother. 222 p., Grades 7 – 9

J/F/HUNTER
Hunter, MollieThe King’s Swift Rider
Martin joins the forces of Robert the Bruce, to rid Scotland of the brutal rule of England’s King Edward, and takes on dangerous missions as a courier and a spy. 239 p., Grades 7 – 9

J/F/KONIGSBURG
Konigsburg, E.L.A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver
Eleanor of Aquitaine, who married the kings of both France and England and was the mother of two British kings, recounts the story of her life and her amazing role in history. 201 p., Grades 6 – 9

J/F/MALONE
Malone, PatriciaThe Legend of Lady Ilena
Recently orphaned, Ilena begins a dangerous journey to her parent’s home, a mysterious fortress called Dun Alyn. Her skills as a warrior are tested on the trip, but it is only at Dun Alyn that she will learn her true identity. 232 p., Grades 6 – 8

J/F/PARK
Park, Linda SueA Single Shard
Living under a bridge in a Korean village, orphaned Tree-ear dreams of learning to create delicate and beautiful celadon pottery from the town’s master potter. 152 p. Grades 4 – 6

J/F/TEMPLE
Temple, FrancesThe Ramsay Scallop
Eleanor, engaged to Thomas when she was twelve, has dreaded his return from the crusades. When Thomas comes home, the village priest sends the pair on a pilgrimage to Spain where they encounter many adventures and discover their true feelings for each other. 310 p., Grades 7 – 9

J/F/WILLIAMS
Williams, Laura E.The Executioner’s Daughter
Lilly, the daughter of the town’s executioner, is hor-rified by her father’s work. She is expected to assist him in his work, although she would rather develop her own talent for healing. 134 p., Grades 6 – 8

J/F/YOLEN
Yolen, JaneGirl in a Cage
During the English invasion of Scotland in 1306, Scottish princess Marjorie is taken prisoner by her father’s enemy, King Edward, and displayed in a cage for all to see. 234 p., Grades 6 – 8

Prepared by S.L., September 2004