Literature By Time Period

Most people will remember Eric Liddell as the inspiration for the award-winning movie Chariots of Fire. But his life away from athletic competition was even more compelling and held an influence that reached all the way to a Japanese internment camp in China.

The American Revolution ignites a fire that rallies patriots to fight! Sandy M'Kethe, along with freeman Salem Poor, find themselves enlisted together in George Washington's army. An expert marksman with the longbow, Sandy's skill attracts the attention of the intrepid sea captain John Paul Jones. Sandy and Salem are bound for high-seas adventures. Together, can they navigate the guns of Providence?

This courageous Christian penned The Star Spangled Banner.  Francis Scott Key sowed seeds of aith to his family and friends all his life. The beauty of his words and the example of his Chritian life allow us to appreciate him today.

"From Sea to Shining Sea" (grades 6-12) is a recommended spine book for several TQ guides: " "Age of Revolution 1," and "Age of Revolution 2." What is a "spine book"? Remember, in TruthQuest history, no single book is "required," however, there are a number of books that are referred to to create an educational/historical spine in which your student can "hang" all his new-found knowledge. If you are using TQ history, you may find it helpful to include one or two of these in your study.

Cheryl Harness uses her wonderfully vibrant art and down-to-earth writing style to "chip away the marble" and present George Washington as more than a monument. We see George the adventurous boy, tromping through the woods with his dog and his hunting rifle; George the courageous military leader fighting alongside his men; George the cunning military strategist, outfoxing the British and forcing their surrender at Yorktown; George the brilliant statesman presiding over the Constitutional Convention; and George the President, wisely protecting our country from enemies foreign and domestic so it could grow strong. 

Dark allegory describes the narrator's journey up the Congo River and his meeting with, and fascination by, Mr. Kurtz, a mysterious personage who dominates the unruly inhabitants of the region. Masterly blend of adventure, character development, psychological penetration. Considered by many Conrad's finest, most enigmatic story.

When the great Velazquez was painting his masterpieces at the Spanish court in the seventeenth century, his colors were expertly mixed and his canvases carefully prepared by his slave, Juan de Pareja. In a vibrant novel which depicts both the beauty and the cruelty of the time and place, Elizabeth Borton de Trevino tells the story of Juan, who was born a slave and died an accomplished and respected artist.

Young Simon, recently and tragically orphaned, becomes a scribe in the following of the exiled Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. The uncertainty of the tumultuous years leading to the infamous cathedral slaying is heightened by Simon's separation from his twin Edmund, who is in the service of King Henry II.

At the end of the 13th century, the oppressed Scots rebelled against England under the leadership of William Wallace, a scottish knight who fought for Scotland's independence, and Robert the Bruce, who was eventually crowned king of Scotland. This gripping tale of courage, loyalty, and ingenuity takes readers into heroic company with a fictional protagonist, young Archie Forbes, who fights alongside the legendary heroes.

Deeply shaken by the apprearance of a mysterious stranger in town and his impassioned pleas for the poor and downtrodden, the minister and five influential parishoners begin a year-long experience in Christianity. Each has resolved to conduct his life according to the precepts of Christ, applying His behavior to their own lives.  As each applies the maxim, "What would Jesus do?" to his personal life or business practices, the changes are astounding.  

Johnny Tremain is the Newbery Award winner by Esther Forbes. Set in Boston during the Revolutionary war, Johnny Tremain is the story of a brilliant orphan boy who was apprenticed to a silver smith. Though young, Johnny has a bright future before him as he is quickly recognized as the driving force behind the silver smith. With marriage to the master's daughter in view, and the eventual ownership of the shop, things are looking up for Johnny, until a jealous fellow apprentice plays a prank on Johnny that literally ruins his life.