a Crabtree Book $16.00

Known for their courage on the battlefield and as masters of the sea, the Vikings spread out from their native Scandinavia to Greenland, North Africa, parts of Central Asia, and even Canada. Despite the fact that their heyday was short-lived, the Vikings left behind fragments of a culture that still fascinate children and adults alike. This exciting new book shows children what Viking life was really like.
Topics include
• the raiding season: individual and community preparation, targets of raids
• ship building, navigation, and life at sea daily life in the long house and the care of homesteads while the men were away
• seasonal festivals and their feasts
• rule by local chieftains
• pagan myths and legends, such as the
• Valkyries, and the arrival of Christianity

Ages 8-14.

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Related titles:

In the Days of Alfred the Great

Viking Quest series

Rolf and the Viking’s Bow

Historical Atlas of the Viking World

The Martyr’s Victory

a Crabtree Book $16.00

The Middle Ages in Europe was characterized by almost constant warfare as rival nobles fought with knights for castles and land. At the same time, Vikings, Magyars, Mongols, and Moors were invading parts of Europe. Medieval Warfare shows how people defended themselves and launched attacks. Full-color medieval drawings, museum pictures, illustrations and clear text help children understand:
• the crusades
• how castles were attacked and defended
• warriors and their weapons
• how battles were fought on the battlefield
• famous battles fought in the middle ages, such as the Battle of Hastings

32p, ages 8-14.

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a Crabtree Book $16.00

In the Middle Ages, a family’s position in society determined where children lived, what type of education they received, and what games they played. This colorful new book features beautiful artwork that helps show how children spent their days in medieval times.
Topics include;
• the importance of family
• a carefree life for young children up to the age of seven
• homemade toys
• indoor games including chess, backgammon, and cards
• outdoor activities including hunting, horseback riding, and archery
• growing up a peasant
• children in town
• apprenticeships for older children
• noble boys learning how to become a knight
• noble girls learning how a lady runs a household
• clothing and hygiene
• education according to sex and status
• religion and a child’s moral upbringing
• holidays
• community fun at markets and fairs

32p, Ages 8-14.

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a Crabtree Book $16.00

In the Middle Ages, stories were told to entertain, distract, and teach. Myths and stories were woven into tapestries, preached in church sermons, and sung at feasts. Using examples from all over the medieval world, this lovely book shows how myths and legends influenced people’s lives, and how these stories were immortalized through oral story-telling, in music, and in crafts. Topics include
• medieval storytellers such as troubadours, bards, and minstrels
• folk songs and dance
• legends and myths from around the world
• mythical creatures, such as dragons, unicorns, and giants
• medieval theater
• stories about heroes and Gods

Glossy paperback, 32p.  Ages 8-14.

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a Crabtree Book $16.00

People who lived in towns in the Middle Ages were usually part of the merchant class and were more often than not wealthier than village dwellers. These craftsmen and business owners were independent men and women who did not work in service to anyone but themselves. Medieval Towns, Trade and Travel features daily life in a town, the artisans and businesspeople who populated it, and what kind of transportation was available in the days of horse and cart.
Topics include;
• the daily life of a family in town
• trades for food including the butcher, the baker, and the brewer
• trades for equipment such as the blacksmith and the woodworker
• belonging to a guild
• apprenticeship for a trade
• travel in the Middle Ages
• staying close to home because travel was time-consuming and uncomfortable
• travel by horse—the fastest way
• inns and taverns for weary travelers

Glossy paperback, 32p.  Ages 8-14.

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a Crabtree Book $16.00

Exciting illustrations and photographs highlight the duties and privileges of medieval knights in warfare and in service to a lord. The Life of a Knight explores the daily life of this class of medieval warrior, including:
• becoming a knight, from page to squire to dubbing
• his weapons and armor
• crusading
• military orders
• tournaments and training
• chivalry

Glossy paperback, 32p.  Ages 8-14.

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Other related titles…

When Knights Were Bold

a Crabtree Book $16.00

Selections from medieval art, and modern photographs and illustrations trace for children the evolution of castles from fort to magnificent home. Life in a Castle shows the activity around the castle, from the lords and ladies in the Great Hall and the Solar, to the cooks in the kitchen and the servants and craftspeople in the bailey. Children will also learn about:
• the master mason and the other craftspeople who built the castle
• how castles were defended against attacks
• siege weapons
• crusader castles built in the Holy Land
• feeding the castle community

Glossy paperback, 32p.  Ages 8-14.

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a Crabtree Book $16.00

The Middle Ages was a period of great scientific and technological advancement. Trade increased as towns began to grow, and medieval people found more efficient ways of doing work by inventing new machines. The inventions of the heavy plow, horseshoes, and harnesses resulted in more food to eat, and more crops for trading. Easy-to-understand text and brilliant full-color illustrations will help children follow the advancements in medicine, military weapons, and astrology up until 1500.
Topics include:
• The power provided by watermills and windmills for laundering clothes, casting iron, and pressing olive oil
• How the development of textiles such as silks, wool, and leather affected trade with China and the Middle East in the 1200s
• How African craftworkers worked with metal, and the bronze and gold sculptures and jewelry that they made
• Medieval peoples‚ belief in the four humors, and the surgical procedures and herbal remedies used
• Astrological inventions such as China’s water clock

Glossy paperback, 32p.  Ages 8-14.

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a Crabtree Book $16.00

Medicine was a mysterious art in the Middle Ages and had not yet benefited from the scientific discoveries we take for granted today. This astonishing new book illustrates how death and incurable disease were considered a common part of medieval life. Young readers will be fascinated by the history of the Black Death, or the Plague, which killed millions of people in Europe, and why medical treatments in the Middle Ages were often worse than the disease. Topics include
• a timeline of medical changes through the Middle Ages
• common medieval diseases and their causes, such as smallpox, tuberculosis, diphtheria, and leprosy
• “The Back Plague” and the modern explanation for it
• the Four Humors
• operations and treatments such as bloodletting, cupping, cauterizing
• medicine makers such as apothecaries and housewives
• famous doctors such as Hippocrates, Galen, Rhazes and Avicenna
• women’s place in medicine

Glossy paperback, 32p. Ages 8-14

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a Crabtree Book $16.00  NOW $12.00

Glossy paperback, 32p.  Ages 8-14.

Table of Contents:
The Middle Ages
Orders of Society
Noble Youth
At the Table
Chivalrous Knights
In a Monastry
A Woman’s World
Wedding Customs
Birth & Death
Winter Festivities
Spring Holidays
Harvest Time