History Reading for 8th grader

[keptwoman]

I have tried to do a search on the forum, but I'm not doing a great job of searching :(

J is 8th grade, but a very good reader. We are using History Odyssey 2 Middle Ages, which has little to no additional reading for China, India, Japan, The East and the Renaissance.

He is thoroughly bored with summarising/outlining and narrating and I would like to add in lots more reading and cut a lot of the writing.

I would love some literature suggestions for him for those areas in the Middle Ages. Links to lists would be just fab.

Thanks in advance :)

[mcconnellboys]

The East:
Anna of Byzantium, Tracy Barrett

History’s Villains: Attila the Hun, Scott Ingram (contrast with Arthurian legends)

The Arabian Nights – we also used the Illustrated Junior Library version of this one, with illustrations by Earle Goodenow (Grosset and Dunlap, publishers)

The Knights of the Golden Table (re: Vladimir, Grand Duke of Kiev), E.M. Almedingen (who also has out several children’s books on ancient Russia)

The World in the Time of Charlemagne

Charlemagne and the Early Middle Ages, Miriam Greenblatt

The Beduin’s Gazelle, Frances Temple

The Samurai’s Tale, Erik Christian Hanguard

Inside Story: A Samurai Castle, Fiona Macdonald

Stories of the Steppes: Kazakh Folktales, Mary Lou Masey

The White Stag, Kate Seredy

The Adventures of Marco Polo

Genghis Khan: Mongol Emperor, Humphrey

The Emperor’s Winding Sheet, Jill Paton Walsh

The World of the Ottoman Ruler: Suleyman the Magnificent – Cobblestone

Wonders Sacred and Mysterious, Reader’s Digest video re: Hagia Sophia

The Ancient Khmers – Cobblestone

In the Land of the Taj Mahal: The World of the Fabulous Mughals, Ed Rothfarb

Sacred River, Ted Lewin

The Golden Deer, Margaret Hodges


Renaissance and beginnings of Age of Exploration:

Eyewitness Renaissance

The Renaissance, Alison Cole

Art: Leonardo Da Vinci, Hahn

Living History: Italian Renaissance

Macauley Ship video

Westward with Columbus: First Voyage to America, from the log of the Santa Maria

Kidnapped

King’s Cavalier

Amerigo Vespucci, Ann Fitzpatrick

Exploration and Discovery

Explore: Uncharted Waters

Magellan, Michael Burgan, et al

Barbary Pirates

Tales from Shakespeare, Lamb (simpler)

Shakespeare’s Theatre

Macbeth, Oxford student ed.

Shakespeare Treasure Chest

Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Bloody Mary

Behind the Mask

Bard of Avon

Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare

The Hawk that dare not Hunt by Day

Long Meg

World of Lady Jane Grey

Queen’s Own Fool (re: Mary)

Macbeth for Kids

Music: Palestrina: CD’s

Poetry: John Donne; Rene’ Descartes, Norton’s Anthology

Philip Sidney, ed. William Ringler, Jr.

Nostradamus: Prophet of Doom, video (?)

Walter Raleigh, Susan Korman, et al

Shakespeare videos: Henry V; Midsummer’s Night’s Dream; Bruce Coville, for juveniles

Stories from Shakespeare, Chutz

[Kareni]

Tusk and Stone is set in 7th century India. It's by Malcome Bosse.

See: Tusk and Stone (http://www.amazon.com/Tusk-Stone-Malcolm-Bosse/dp/188691074X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215485567&sr=1-1)

Another good read set in 12th century Korea is A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park.

See: A Single Shard (http://www.amazon.com/Single-Shard-Linda-Sue-Park/dp/0440418518/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215485728&sr=1-1)

Regards,
Kareni

[keptwoman]

Thanks so much both of you :)