Introduction	Scope	Guides	Encyclopedias
Dictionaries	Geographical Sources	Non-fiction Books

Introduction

For the sake of broadening this topic, and in accordance with many sources, the medieval period encompasses the historical period lasting between 500 and 1400 CE.This is the period known best for knights, castles, feudalism, the black death and the crusades.Children are defined in accordance with the ALA Caldecott and Newbery award guidelines as up to and including fourteen years of age.No distinction has been made of appropriate grade levels or reading levels of the sources listed because it is anticipated that this pathfinder will be used primarily as a source for encouraging a child’s current interest, and I believe that a child can read something he or she truly finds interesting at a higher level of comprehension than something that doesn’t intrigue him or her. 
 

Scope

The scope of this project is to introduce a child, parent, teacher, or librarian (school or public) with nonfiction sources that can encourage an interest as well as introduce a child to the period of time we know as the medieval period, or the Middle Ages in Europe.Items listed in this pathfinder can be located at the Orange County Public Library in Hillsborough, North Carolina or at Davis Library or the SILS library at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.Call numbers and locations are listed following each citation. 

 
 

Adamson, Lynda G.  A Reference Guide to Historical Fiction for Children and Young Adults  New York:   Greenwood Press, 1987.(SILS Ref Z1037.A2671987)

Although this guide is quite dated by modern standards, it has many useful features.The works listed were selected by recognized merit, historical accuracy and how well they were written.The preface and introduction provide information on historical fiction and how to use the book, and the guide itself contains entries for titles and main characters of books, cross-referenced to author entries, which contain detailed information about many books written by that particular person.Although the index lists only authors and titles, the four appendices are the best part of this book as the first two list the titles by setting dates and locales, and age level readability.The third appendix is a “Bibliography on Writing Historical Novels:works by authors included in the guide,” and the fourth is a “Secondary Bibliography on Writers and Historical Novels.”

 

Barker, Keith (ed.)  Information Books for Children   2^nd ed. Hants, England:  1995. (SILS Ref Z1037.I4581995)

This guide contains listings of nonfiction books for children with bibliographic data and reviews on a variety of subjects.It is organized in Dewey Decimal order for school libraries.Browsing the table of contents is very helpful, but the subject index is not very comprehensive (not providing an entry for “history,” for example).The author/title indexes appear to be quite good, marking this book more helpful for finding reviews of certain books than browsing by subject.The subject listing, however, seems to be enormously selective, concentrating on items the editor believed to be lacking in school media centers.
 

Nichols, Margaret Irby.  Guide to Reference Books for School Media Centers 4^th ed.   Englewood, Colorado:  Libraries Unlimited,  1992.  (SILS Ref  Z1037.1.W951992)

The comprehensive subject index to this work allows the user to identify subjects of interest by keyword.It also contains an author/title index for searching more specific items.The index refers the user to an entry number rather than a page number.Each source entry consists of full bibliographic information, complete with price and ISBN as well as a brief annotation of the source, grade level coding which is explained in the introduction, and citations to journal reviews of the source (the abbreviations of which are explained in the introduction).The Guide contains 2,280 entries with annotations aimed at assisting teachers and school librarians in “building a core collection,” although it is easy enough for parents as well as older children to use as well.

 

Peterson, Carolyn Sue and Ann D. Fenton.  Reference Books for Children 4^th ed.   London:  Scarecrow Press, 1992.  (SILS Ref Z1037.1.P41992)

This useful guide contains over one thousand annotated entries for reference books and selection tools for school and public libraries.It’s purpose is to provide a buying guide for librarians in these libraries, so each entry contains the author, title, publishing information, number of pages, ISBN and price (keep in mind it was published in 1992).The author/ title and subject indexes direct you to individual entry numbers.Not all entries are annotated, but they do provide enough information to look them up at bookstores or reviewing sources.

 
 

 

Canby, Courtlandt.  Encyclopedia of Historic Places  New York:  Facts on File, 1984.  2 vols. $175.00/set.  ISBN 0-87196-126-1. LC 80-2512. (DAVIS Ref. D9.C29 1984)

According to the Guide to Reference Books for School Media Centers, this two- volume set makes an “excellent supplement to Webster’s New Geographical Dictionary” because it identifies and locates some 100,000 worldwide historic sites with photographs, line drawings and maps. The easy to read alphabetical arrangement with guidewords includes cross-references and alternate names.  Its general scope is that this work “provides detailed coverage on all geographic locations of historical significance—towns, cities, countries, provinces, regions, empires, deserts, forts, archaeological sites…from the remains of human beginnings to the present” (v).
 

Grabois, Aryeh.  Illustrated Encyclopedia of Medieval Civilization  Jerusalem:  G. G. The Jerusalem Publishing House, 1980.(DAVIS Ref CB353.G7)

This general reference work, designed for the general public, contains 4000 entries with illustrations and short bibliographies chosen “according to the author’s idea of history and concepts in the Middle Ages, in the light of modern research.”It ranges from general articles on major, comprehensive topics to shorter, more specific entries.It contains maps, a chronological table and an “index of persons, terms and subjects which are not titles of entries in the encyclopedia” which refers readers to the entry in which you will find them mentioned.
 

Langer, William L., ed.  An Encyclopedia of World History; Ancient, Medieval, and Modern, Chronologically Arranged  5^th ed.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin, 1972. 1,569 p.  ISBN 0-395-13592-3. $40.00.(DAVIS Ref D21.L271972)

Listed in both Reference Books for Children and Guide to Reference Books for School Media Centers, this item is a good example of adult reference material that can easily be used by children, as UNC has chosen to place it in their main library collection.“Entries present concise information on political, military, diplomatic and cultural history.Also included are genealogical charts of ruling families; lists of popes, prime ministers, and other notable political figures; and some 60 outline maps.” (GRBSMC)
 

The Middle Ages:  A Concise Encyclopedia   Loyn, H.R., ed.  London:  Thames and Hudson; distr.,  New York:  W.W. Norton, 1989. 352p.$39.95. ISBN 0-500-25103-7.LC 88-50254. (DAVIS Ref CB351.M5651989)

Recommended in Guide to Reference Books for School Media Centers, which contents that it contains “nearly 1000 entries for the period 400 to 1500 covering people, places, customs, and concepts from Scandinavia to the Middle East.”The purpose of this work is “to provide both beginner and specialist with a single volume that presents a summary of current thought on the key protagonists, events and themes relating to the history of Europe,” and is intended as a ready reference source to check quick facts.Bibliographic information for further reading is included with each entry.

 
 

 

Cosman, Madeleine Pelner.  Medieval Wordbook  New York:  Facts on File, 1996.  (DAVIS Ref CB351.C631996)

This source contains more than 4000 entries of words and definitions that come to us from medieval culture.It is not an entomological dictionary, but word origins are included when the author considered them to be interesting or revealing.There are also no pronunciations or parts of speech.It contains subject and name indexes, even though the entire publication is arranged alphabetically.It is “meant to be your friendly medieval companion while you are visiting museums, trekking through castles in Europe, congenially arguing over words at dinner, reading in academic halls or libraries, and playing College Bowl, Scrabble or breezing through crossword puzzles” (ix).

 

Dahmus, Joseph.  Dictionary of Medieval Civilization  New York:  Macmillan, 1984.  700p.  ISBN 0-02-907870-9. $75.00.  (DAVISRef CB351.D241984)

This source is recommended in Reference Books for Children who reports that it contains over 6,600 entries related to the medieval period, which they claim is 300-1500 CE.This work attempts to be inclusive and includes coverage throughout the medieval world.The alphabetical entries contain descriptions as brief as definitions of words to paragraph-length descriptions, and it covers people, events, books, places, concepts and words specific to the time period.

 

DeFord, Miriam, and Joan S. Jackson.  Who Was When:  A Dictionary of Contemporaries    3d ed. Bronx, new York:  H.W. Wilson, 1976.184p. $50.00.  ISBN 0-8242-0532-4. LC 76-2404.  (DAVIS Ref CT103.D41976)

Listed in Guide to Reference Books for School Media Centers, this chronology lists “10,000 eminent individuals by birth and death dates for the period 500 B.C. to A.D. 1974.”The entire book is a table listing, year-to-year, prominent people in areas of government and law; military and naval affairs; industry, commerce, economics, finance, invention, and labor; travel and exploration; philosophy and religion; science and medicine; education, scholarship and history; literature; painting and sculpture; music; and miscellaneous.The index lists each person with his / her birth and death dates.

 

Oxford English Dictionary  2^nd ed.  J. A. Simpson and E.S.C. Weiner, Preparers.  Oxford:   Clarendon Press, 1989. 20 vols.  (DAVIS Ref PE1625 .O87 1989; LAW PE1625 .N53 1989)

This comprehensive entomological dictionary of the English language includes usages from the earliest records to the present day.“It embraces not only the standard language of literature and conversation, whether current at the moment, or obsolete, or archaic, but also the main technical vocabulary, and a large measure of dialectical usage and slang,” (preface) explained with many examples from literature and documents contemporary with the time and meaning described.

 

 

Falkers, Malcom and John Gillingham.  Historical Atlas of Britain  New York:  Continuum Publishing Co., 1981.  (DAVIS Ref G1812.21.S1 H5 1981)

This atlas is divided into two parts:Political History and Social and Economic History.The first part contains six chapters covering 4000 BCE to 400 CE, 400-1066 CE, 1066-1660 CE, 1660-1815 CE, 1815-1914, and 1914 on.The second section only contains two chapters which are devoted to subjects rather than time periods:“A Fair Field Full of Folk” which discusses feudalism and “The Great Transformation: the Rise of Industry and its Aftermath.”It contains detailed, colorful maps and informative prose narrative accompanied by color and black and white drawings / photographs relevant to the discussion.Two pages are denoted to “English Politics in the Age of Beowulf.”A “Chronology of World History” which is very informative is found at the end of the work.

 

Hill, David.  An Atlas of Anglo-Saxon England  Toronto:  U of Toronto Press, 1981.  (DAVIS Ref G1816.S1H5441981)

Specific to Anglo-Saxon England (c. 731-1066 CE), this atlas contains a wealth of information on the different parts of England, including climate, population, topography, forests, channels and rivers, as well as events, specific regions, history, political administrations, economy and religion.The maps are not color, but are very detailed and are accompanied by prose explanations.

 

Muir’s Historical Atlas Ancient Medieval and Modern  London:  George Philip and Son, 1963.  (DAVIS Ref G1030 .M838)

The colorful maps in this volume show longitude and latitude as well as political boundaries for a variety of world locations over a variety of eras of history.  Although the maps are nice, this source is difficult to navigate unless the introductory material is thoroughly read and a significant amount of time is spent with the book.

 
 

Andronik, Catherine M.  Quest for a King: Searching for the Real King Arthur.    New York:  Antheneum, 1989.  (SILS J942.01 Andronik)

The author explores the information about the historical search for King Arthur by trying to “draw together in one place most of the facts and theories about Arthur, without making judgments on whether the theories are right or wrong” (note on the sources).It contains an index and a bibliography including nonfiction and fiction sources, most of which are annotated with a one sentence description of the source.Andronik is a high school library media specialist in Connecticut, and her language is easy to read and informative, providing many references to historical and popular sources about Arthur, including current popular fiction and movies.

 

Black, Irma.  Castle, Abby, and Town:  How People Lived in the Middle Ages    illus. W.T. Mars.  New York:  Holiday House, Inc., 1963.  (SILS J940.1)

The illustrations in this book are detailed charcoal pencil sketches.The language is simple and straightforward—very readable.Although there is no index, the book is arranged by sections and chapters each of which depicts the lifestyle of a specific group and specific people.

 

Glubok, Shirley.  Knights in Armor  New York:  Harper and Row, 1969.  (SILS J940.1 Glubok)

This book contains easy language describing the life of knights in the middle ages from when they start training as pages through being granted full knighthood.The subject is made very accesible and the illustrations include black and white photographs and illustrations from manuscripts, each accompanied by a caption documenting where the picture was obtained.Meant to be read straight through, this work contains no index.

 

Gravett, Christopher.  Knight  London:  Dorling Kindersley, 1993.  (SILS J940.1 Gravett)

This member of the Eyewitness Books Series is full of colorful photographs (by Geoff Dann) of artifacts and drawings.Each two-page spread is designated to a certain topic about knighthood from “The First Knights” of the fourth century through the decline of chivalry in the 17^th century.There is an index that can allow you to use the book much like a picture dictionary.

 

Howarth, Sarah.  What Do We Know About the Middle Ages?  New York:  Peter Bedrick, 1995. (OCPL J940.1 How)

This very colorful illustrated history of the Middle Ages is complete with a timeline, glossary, and index.It is arranged (as can be seen in the table of contents) in sections answering questions such as “When were the Middle Ages?”“Were medieval families like ours?” and “Did people go to the doctor?”There is a list of photograph acknowledgements on the copyright page, but there is no list of works consulted.Still, it is a wonderful introductory book to the time period!

 

Langley, Andrew.  Medieval Life  New York:  Dorling Kindersley,  2000.

(OCPL J940.1 Lan) 

Another one of the Eyewitness Books, this book is also beautifully illustrated with photographs of artifacts and artistic illustrations.The pictures are well-annotated and the edition contains an index.It covers many topics of medieval life including soldiers, women, the written word, death and disease, music and various occupations.

 

Macdonald, Fiona and Mark Bergin.  A Medieval Castle  New York:  Peter Bedrick Books, 1990.  (SILS J940.1 Macdonald)

Fiona Macdonald studied history at Cambridge University and the University of East Anglia and has taught children, adults and undergraduates.Mark Bergin has specialized in historical reconstruction since leaving art school in 1983.Their book contains an index and a glossaryand covers topics from building a castle to life in the castle to the destruction of the castle.Each two page spread covers a specific topic with basic texts, colorful drawings and wonderful captions.

 

Patrick, John and Mollie Packham.  The Age of Invasions:  Britain 55 BC-AD 1200  illus. Susan Bird.  London:  John Murray Ltd, 1985.  (SILS J942 Patrick)

The credentials of both authors are listed on the title page:Patrick was formerly a lecturer in history at Aberdeen College of Education while Packham was formerly the Head of History at Falmer School, Brighton.This book is part of a collection called Making History which is designed as textbooks for teaching historical theory and critical thinking.There is an index and a glossary of bold-faced words.At the end of each section are segments of questions and quizzes that stimulate discussion about the reading.The best part of this book is how well it is illustrated with maps, drawings and photographs.

 

Sancha, Sheila.  The Lutterell Village:  Country Life in the Middle Ages  New York:   Thomas Y. Crowell, 1982.  (SILS J942 Sancha)

This book was the winner of the ALA Notable Children’s Award and the School Library Journal Best Book Award in 1983.It contains many detailed, well-marked pictures that illustrate the provided information well.The author lived in the area as a child and seems to have passed on her love of its history.She also provided a glossary-index (identifying where bold-faced words are found in the text).Her introduction provides information about her sources, although there is no formal bibliography.

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