Recommended Reading

This book is a popular introduction to American history for very young readers. It contains dozens of simply told stories of warriors, statesmen, explorers, scientists, inventors, men and women of letters, and other famous Americans. Featured are Marquette in Iowa, Penn and the Indians, Thomas Smith and the beginning of rice culture in South Carolina, Franklin and the ants, Putnam and the wolf, and dozens of other stories. The collection of sketches features inspirational stories as well as short histories.

This delightful collection of stories from America's past recounts one hundred interesting and romantic incidents from America's history, and provides character sketches of dozens of early American heroes and heroines. It makes no attempt to relate or explain complicated government issues, and does not provide a chronological or comprehensive account, but instead focuses on stories of great human interest, and reads like a book of fairy tales.

This four volume series is a very simple history of the United States from its colonial age to the end of the civil war. It was written for grammar school children and relates American history through short stories, character sketches, poems and songs. The first volume covers the landing of Columbus through the French and Indian Wars. The second relates the Revolutionary War period in detail. The third covers the time from the end of the Revolutionary War to the middle of the 19th century, and the fourth focuses on the years before, during, and after the civil war.

This collection of over forty stories and legends from history are related by a master-story teller. They are perfect for reading individually, or aloud to younger children. Most of the stories are from European History and include both legends and folklore, and history stories. Well known stories, such as William Tell, Joan of Arc, and the death of Roland are told as well as lesser known classics such as "The Mouse Tower", "Dmitri the Pretender", and "Berth of the Big Foot".

This book recounts six stories from English history, beginning with that of the Celtic hero Caradoc, and ending with Sir Francis Drake. Other tales include the story of Augustine of Kent and the conversion of the Saxons to Christianity, William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings, King John and the murder of his rival Prince Arthur, and the story of the Black Prince at Crecy and Poitiers.

This beautifully illustrated book tells seven of the most picturesque stories from the History of France. They include the story of Clovis and his Queen Clotilda, Charlemagne, Saint Louis, the Crusader, Joan of Arc, the Huguenots and the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette, and Napoleon Bonaparte.

In this short, but beautifully told book, only six of the many inspiring stories from Geek History could be told. They include the story of Solon, the law-giver of Athens, Themistocles and the battle of Salamis, Pelopidas and Epaminondas and the Boeotian Wars, Timoleon and the liberation of Sicily, Demosthenes, the orator of Athens, and Alexander the Great.

This short book tells stories of several of the most famous characters of Roman History. Included are Heroes of the early republic: Horatius and Coriolanus; Heroes of the Punic and Macedonian Wars: Hannibal, Fabius Maximus, Paulus Amelius, and Scipio Africanus; and leading men of the Late republic: the Gracchi, Pompey, Julius Caesar. Each story is told in simple terms but engaging terms.

This short version of Homer’s Iliad is part of the Told to the Children series. It is very short, very well written, and recounted in a suitable manner for younger children. The action begins with the story of Helen and Paris and ends with the death of Hector. The story of the Trojan horse and the fall of Troy is not included.

This beautifully illustrated version of Aesop's fables is one of the most popular renditions of Aesop’s Fables ever published. It is just as delightful for adults and older children as it is for beginning readers, and like much of the other literature that descends to us from Ancient Greece, reminds us of the sophisticated wisdom of the classical sages.

This beautifully illustrated book retells many of the most famous stories from the bible, especially those most appealing to youngsters. It includes twenty-four stories from the Old Testament and twelve stories from the New Testament, each told in the manner of a children’s tale. The pictures that accompany these Bible stories are outstanding.

This collection of ninety Bible stories cover the entire Old Testament from Genesis to Nehemiah, and was authored by a master story teller. It recounts the stories from the Bible most suitable for youngsters in beautiful prose. The illustrations are few, but of extraordinary quality.

This story relates how a gay, courtly young soldier, who grew up amid wealth and privilege became a knight of Jesus Christ. After he had a vision went on a pilgrimage he gave up earthly ambitions and vowed devotion to Lady Poverty. He founded the Franciscan order of monks and proved himself a 'little brother' to all men, and a friend even to the birds and beasts. It is a charming tale and a Christian classic.

This lively retelling of the Stories of Robin Hood chronicles the events of the time in which Robin Hood lived, while the heroic Richard the Lion-hearted was absent from England and the kingdom was under the rule of his devious brother. The story recounts how and why he came to live in the Greenwood, and the adventures he had there with Little John, Maid Marian, and the Sheriff of Nottingham in a manner attractive to youngsters.

Siegfried is the central character of a legend that is based on the Nibelung, an old German poem. The epic is filled with of strange adventures of tiny dwarves and stalwart mortals. In this retelling, Siegfried wins the accursed Rhineland treasure, takes Kriemhild as bride, and comes to an untimely end, passing the curse of the Rhinegold on to his enemies.

Roland was the nephew of Charlemagne and the most famous of his knights. The stories from this book tell of incidents near the end of the hero’s life, as told by the Epic poem, the Song of Roland. The story recounts the incidents at the Battle of Roncesvalles in which Oliver and Roland were killed. It also tells of the treachery of Ganelon, Charlemagne’s ultimate revenge, and the death of the traitor.