Required Books
The Children of Odin by Padraic Colum
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green
These two books provide a foundation in the myth and legend that informs much of our reading in medieval literature. These are easily accessible editions written for older children and young adults, so they are not challenging reading, but students must know these stories to appreciate the many references to them that they will encounter.
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. Ivanhoe is Scott’s most famous and best-beloved historical romance. Set in the 12th century, it portrays an England chafing against rule by the French Normans generally, and by the wicked Prince John specifically. Scott immerses the reader in the world of medieval romance, with mysterious knights errant, their loyal servants, and damsels in distress. It is a denser read, and is far longer than the previous selections, so students should allow plenty of time to read it.
The following is a list of suggested additional reading
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien
Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
Foundation by Isaac Asimov (Other books in this series are also recommended. This series was inspired by Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.)