Intermediate (ages 9-14)

Material appropriate for intermediate age groups

More About Boy: Roald Dahl’s Tales from Childhood

More About Boy is the expanded story of Roald Dahl’s childhood, with his original text augmented by never-before-seen material from behind the scenes, and some of the secrets that were left out.

Starting-point — Papa and Mama — More about Mama — Kindergarten, 1922/3 — A grand time — Llandaff Cathedral School, 1923/5 (age 7/9) — The bicycle and the sweet-shop — The great mouse plot — A life without sweets — Going to Norway — The magic island — A visit to the doctor — The last lap — St. Peter’s, 1925/9 (age 9-13) — First day — Writing home — The matron — Homesickness — A drive in the motor-car — The Maccano chariot — Captain Hardcastle — How I became a writer — Little Ellis and the boil — Goat’s tobacco — Repton and Shell, 1929/36 (age 13/20) — Getting dressed for the big school — Boazers — Painful punishments — The headmaster — Chocolates — Horrid little boys and girls — Corkers — Fagging — That awful cold bath — Games and photography — Goodbye school — P.S — Excerpt from Going solo — A Dahl-tastic quiz.

Religion (Life in Ancient Egypt)

Describes the role of religion in ancient Egypt during the New Kingdom period, from about 1550 BCE to about 1070 BCE, including the diverse gods and goddesses the people worshipped, their creation myths, and the role of priesthood

Beowulf: A Tale Of Blood, Heat, And Ashes

beowulfThe exhilarating epic blazes to life — featuring illustrations by a lead artist on the LORD OF THE RINGS film trilogy.”Look into the flames and let your minds empty. . . . For this is a tale of blood and heat and ashes.”It is a tale that has been retold countless times through the centuries — and here, in an enthralling edition illustrated by a noted Tolkien artist, the mighty Beowulf is well set to capture new legions of followers. This contemporary retelling of the ancient epic — narrated with a touch of banter by the faithful Wiglaf and featuring vividly dramatic illustrations — follows the mythic hero from his disarming of the gruesome Grendel to his sword battle with the monster’s sea hag mother to his final, fiery showdown with an avenging dragon.

Perceval: King Arthur’s Knight of the Holy Grail

Retells the Arthurian legend of Perceval, a foolish and impatient boy who realizes his dream of becoming a great knight, but meets with misfortune when he forgets to pray and serve God.

Clay Man: The Golem Of Prague

clayIt is 1595, and the rabbi’s son Jacob is frustrated with having to live in the walled ghetto known as Jewish Town. Why can’t he venture outside of the gates and explore the beautiful city? His father warns him that Passover is a dangerous time to be a Jew and that the people from outside accuse the Jews of dreadful deeds. But one night, Jacob follows his father and two companions as they unlock the ghetto gates and proceed to the river, where they mold a human shape from the mud of the riverbank. When the rabbi speaks strange words, the shape is infused with life and the Golem of Prague is born.In this breathtaking retelling of a timeless tale, Irene N. Watts’s beautiful words are complemented by the haunting black-and-white images of artist Kathryn E. Shoemaker.

The Pharaoh’s Secret (Amelia’s Notebook Series)

Filled with intrigue and surprises, The Pharaoh’s Secret includes Marissa Moss’s original illustrations throughout. The novel skillfully weaves history with a personal story full of heartache and family tensions that will entice and enthrall readers. When Talibah and her younger brother, Adom, accompany their father, an academic, to his homeland of modern Egypt on his research assignment, they become involved in a mystery surrounding an ancient, lost pharaoh—a rare queen ruler. Someone has tried to wipe her from the record, to make it appear as if she never existed! She needs Talibah to help her and her high priest, Senenmut, reclaim their rightful place in history. Exotic locales, mysterious strangers, and a sinister archaeologist round out an adventure that is full of riddles, old tales, and, most surprisingly of all, a link to Talibah’s and Adom’s mother, who died mysteriously.

Tutankhamun

After thirty-two centuries of lying hidden in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings, King Tutankhamun’s sacred, royal tomb was discovered by a British archaeologist, and Tut’s story became known throughout the world. Demi sets King Tutankhamun’s life in the context of the religious beliefs of his ancestors. Born to a pharoah who had the revolutionary idea that all of Egypt must worship only one god, Tut ascended the throne and restored religious freedom to the Upper and Lower kingdoms. He allowed his subjects to worship either the one god, Aten, of his father or the many shapes and forms of the sun god, Amun, whom they had worshiped since ancient times. Using research that includes the artifacts in King Tutankhamun’s tomb, Demi shares the rich details of the king’s life, from ostrich and lion hunts, to the challenges of ruling his Kingdom. Demi’s storytelling skills and magnificent artwork, inspired by Egyptian line in paintings, architecture, sculpture, and jewelry, reveal the life of a remarkable king who has been watching us “across a span of more than 3,000 years.”

The Middle East

The Middle East captures the richness and diversity of Middle Eastern culture, and places the region in its global context in a way that no other reference has done for this age group.