The Best Medieval History Books for Middle School

There is no shortage of great living books for your middle schooler when it comes to medieval history! It is widely believed that the medieval period (also known as the Dark Ages) was a time of intellectual, spiritual, and social darkness. As you’ll quickly see, however, the books in this list will open up another look at the medieval age, one that has a very rich and fascinating history. Read further for my list of the best books of Medieval History for middle school students.

In my own homeschooling years, I (unfortunately) didn’t spend a lot of time studying the Middle Ages. As we began homeschooling our own kids, I decided early on that this would be a period of history that we would not overlook! And as it turns out, it has become a favorite historical period that several of our kids love to read about.

Please know that I don’t require our kids to read this entire list! Rather, I choose a handful of titles from this list for each student depending on their interests and reading abilities.

With the right books to captivate the mind and imagination, medieval history can come alive for your middle schooler!

Medieval History Booklist

• Castle by David Macaulay
• Cathedral by David Macaulay
• The Magna Charta by James Daugherty
• The World of Columbus and Sons by Genevieve Foster
• Queen Eleanor: Independent Spirit of the Medieval World by Polly Schoyer Brooks
• The Story of Joan of Arc by Maurice Boutet de Monvel
• Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain
• Morning Star of the Reformation by Andy Thompson
• Fine Print: A Story about Johann Gutenberg by Joann Johansen Burch
• Along Came Galileo by Jeanne Bendick
• The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric Philbrook Kelly
• I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth de Trevino
• Mansa Musa and the Empire of Mali: A True Story of Gold and Greatness from Africa by P. James Oliver
• The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay: Life in Medieval Africa by Patricia McKissak
• One Thousand and One Arabian Nights retold by Geraldine McCaughrean
• Beowulf retold by Michael Morpurgo
• Men of Iron by Howard Pyle
• The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
• The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green
• King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green
• Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
• The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean
• The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
• In Freedom’s Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce by G.A. Henty
• The White Company by Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
• The Canterbury Tales retold by Geraldine McCaughrean
• The Brenden Voyage by Tim Severin
• Saints and Heroes to the End of the Middle Ages by George Hodges
• Heralds of the Reformation: Thirty Biographies of Sheer Grace by Richard Hannula

Looking for more to add to your Medieval History study in your homeschool? Check out these lists:

Medieval Hymns

• We All Believe in One True God by Martin Luther
• Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming (perfect to learn for Christmas!)
• St. Patrick’s Breastplate (great to sing for St. Patrick’s Day!)
• A Mighty Fortress by Martin Luther (we like to sing this around Reformation Day)
• Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands by Martin Luther (Easter)
• That Easter Day with Joy Was Bright (Easter)
• King Alfred’s War Song (When the Enemy Comes In)

Listen to recordings of medieval hymns to help learn them

Medieval Memory Work Suggestions

• The Nicene Creed
• Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare
• “To Be or Not to Be” from Hamlet by Shakespeare
• Sonnet X, “Death, Be Not Proud” by John Donne
• Caedmon’s Hymn

I hope this was a helpful guide to the best Medieval history books for your middle school students. I am excited to get started on these lists with my two middle school boys this year!