Literature By Time Period

Here's another one of those 'They could make it into a movie!' books that keeps you always wanting to read just one more chapter. Red Hugh was a true champion for Irish liberty from Queen Elizabeth's constricting reign in the late 1580's and beyond. Hugh's capture, imprisonment, and escape from the Dublin Castle; his triumph over a blizzard and frostbite; his dramatic rescue of his family's castle; his conflict with the evil Captain Leeds; and his inexhaustible love for Ireland make this a wonderful read-aloud book for the entire family. You learn an astonishing amount of Irish geography and culture while relishing this true adventure, as well.

This classic story of a shipwrecked mariner on a deserted island is perhaps the greatest adventure in all of English literature. Fleeing from pirates, Robinson Crusoe is swept ashore in a storm possessing only a knife, a box of tobacco, a pipe-and the will to survive. His is the saga of a man alone: a man who overcomes self-pity and despair to reconstruct his life; who painstakingly teaches himself how to fashion a pot, bake bread, build a canoe; and who, after twenty-four agonizing years of solitude, discovers a human footprint in the sand... 

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the Newbery Award winning story of an African American family living in Mississipi in the early part of the 20th century. Segregation was the norm, with black and white children living in separate social strata, attending separate schools, and subject to different rules. The story explores difficult subjects such as segregation, prejudice, and the KKK. Written for grades 6-8. This story would make an excellent addition to any study of recent American history.

Safely Home is one of the most significant novels I’ve ever read. Based on a compilation of true stories, this fictionalized account, Safely Home by Randy Alcorn, is the story of persecuted Christians in 21st Century China. 

Samuel Eaton is a young boy living in an early American settlement in the year 1627, and today is the day he will help with his first rye harvest! If he can prove to his father he's up to the task, he will be able to help with all of the harvest. But harvesting rye is even more difficult than he expected. Was he foolish to think he could do a man's work?

On a cold February day, Samuel was studying in his overcoat, rubbing his chilled fingers, when a loud knock at the front door startled him. His good friend Lowell Mason had come to remind Samuel of a promise. A New England pastor, he wrote the lyrics to "America, My Country 'Tis of Thee.

Seaman, the Newfoundland dog belonging to Meriwether Lewis, proves his value as a hunter, navigator, and protector while accompanying the Corps of Discovery, led by his master and William Clark, on its two-year journey exploring the western territories. 

An Indian boy who tends llamas in a hidden valley in Peru learns the traditions and secrets of his Inca ancestors.

Silas Marner, a simple, religious man, angrily retreats from his community and church when he is unjustly accused of theft. In an isolated cottage, Silas spends his days weaving cloth and his nights sifting through the piles of gold he obsessively accumulates. Then, one New Year's Eve, a little girl, Eppie, appears at his home, and his life is miraculously transformed. Eliot's timeless tale includes an Introduction by David Carroll.

Skylark is the sequel to Sarah, Plain and Tall. Drought - a prairie farmer's worst nightmare. Crops die, cattle have no more water, and one by one, the prairie families, destitute, pack up and head back East. But, Jacob refuses to leave. As the leaves turn brown and the river runs dry on the prairie, Sarah dreams of the lush green grasses and the blue ocean of her native Maine. When fires and drought threaten to devastate their farm, Sarah takes the children to Maine where they will be safe. A moving story, masterfully combining a moving tale with historical facts. Great living books for your homeschool. Read all the books in this series.

The year is A.D. 781. King Charles of the Franks is crossing the Alps with his family and court on a journey to meet with Pope Hadrian. One frosty night he speaks to his young son Carl: "When we come to Rome you will know that I am naming you my heir. One day you will rule over all my lands. . . ." But the King already had an heir, Pepin the Hunchback, mockingly called Gobbo. Was he to be dispossessed? Yet Carl sees that Charlemagne is determined to do what he feels is best to serve God and Europe.

The story of Sundiata, son of the king of Mali in the time of the great trading empires of Africa some eight hundred years ago, is a powerful tale of courage and determination. As a boy, Sundiata was unable to speak or walk. He overcame these obstacles, but was driven into exile by a rival queen. When Mali was overrun by intruders, 18-year-old Sundiata returned to defeat them and reclaim the throne. Full color.