Rebecca Barnhouse - Böcker

The Middle Ages is a common topic of study in U.S. schools. Teachers regularly assign supplemental material, including books and websites, to enhance their students' understanding of the literature or history lessons found in textbooks, and they look to librarians for help in finding material. This comprehensive, practical guide to literature about this time period summarizes and evaluates material about the medieval period written for children and teenagers, including picture books, novels, nonfiction, and reference books. Focusing on Western Europe in the years 500 - 1500, this resource is conveniently organized around geographical locations, subjects, and time periods. Each section begins with a brief description of the historical period or group of people. A subject index gives further help to readers looking for particular topics. Works about the Middle Ages are described and evaluated in terms of content, age level, and accuracy. K - 12 teachers and public and school librarians will benefit from this work that will guide them to good books for the students they serve. They will also appreciate the sections of the book that describe professional resources, including books, articles, websites, and classroom activities.

Cotton Claudius B.iv, an illustrated Old English Hexateuch that is among the treasures of the British Library, contains one of the first extended projects of translation of the Bible in a European vernacular. Its over four hundred images make it one of the most extensively illustrated books to survive from the early Middle Ages and preserve evidence of the creativity of the Anglo-Saxon artist and his knowledge of other important early medieval picture cycles. In addition, the manuscript contains the earliest copy of Ælfric’s Preface to Genesis, a work that discusses issues of translation and interpretation.