11.04.08
A Good Book
I’ve been doing some “fun” reading now that my exams are over (which BTW, I passed) and I came across this soon-to-be-finished juvenile trilogy I highly recommend. It’s a good conversation starter if nothing else. Nancy Farmer has written The Sea of Trolls and The Land of the Silver Apples which are about a young Anglo-Saxon named Jack and a Viking shieldmaiden, Thorgil. Farmer has taken Anglo-Saxon history, culture, and literature and made it interesting and engaging for the 4-7th grader. She has also very accurately captured the development of Christianity in Britain and the various tensions that caused between the “new” religion and Druidism. The tales are beautifully written and would make a really great read-aloud…particularly since there are issues families should discuss together when it comes to understanding the early Church in England and the fusion of mystical, pagan rites with Christian liturgy.
Courtney said,
November 5, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Every time I recommend this book to a teen, I secretly think, “Ha ha! Soon you will be hooked, and then I will transition you to Beowulf… and then you’ll become an English major!”