Part I. The World of the Court

1353

Federigo’s Falcon

from Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron
retold by Walter Hazen

Ten young people have left Florence because of the plague. They tell stories to pass the time and calm their fears. Now it’s Fiametta’s turn...

c. 1485

Persecution in Spain

by Barbara Littman

A Jew and his brother who both became Christian go to a public trial. They hope for news about their cousin David, who has disappeared. Does the Spanish Inquisition have David? What will happen to him now?

1528

Machiavelli’s Advice to Rulers

by Judith Lloyd Yero

Machiavelli wrote one of the earliest guidebooks on how to gain and keep power. In The Prince, he urged rulers to use tricks and act without mercy for the good of the state. He learned all about power by studying the workings of Europe’s greatest courts.

c. 1528

Proper Behavior

by Lynnette Brent

A young Italian tailor reads the latest book on courtly behavior. Suddenly, he has an idea. If he studies these rules, he can sneak into the contessa’s party! If he follows the rules, will they think he’s a nobleman?

1543

The Six Wives of Henry VIII

by Marianne McComb

England’s Henry VIII is thinking about a sixth wife. His earlier marriages helped him gain power in Europe but produced only one son. One of Henry’s advisors reviews his history and gives him some timely advice.

1558–1603

Elizabeth I and Her Age

by Stephen Feinstein

A young actor recalls his three meetings with England’s queen. Her flaming red-gold hair, beautiful face, and energetic spirit greatly impress him. As she said, she truly had “the heart and stomach of a King.”

Part II. Renaissance Art and Literature

1355-1555

Words into Print

by Stephen Currie

In this story, we visit St. Scholastica Monastery in Germany three times—in 1355, in 1455, and in 1555. Johann Gutenberg’s new invention, the printing press, couldn’t possibly change life at St. Scholastica. Or could it?

1452–1519

Renaissance Man

by Dee Masters

Leonardo da Vinci was perhaps the greatest thinker and painter of the Italian Renaissance. He also made statues, invented things, designed buildings, and thought about how to make people fly. He left notebooks filled with ideas and inventions. No wonder people call him the Renaissance Man!

1535

Sir Thomas More: A Man of Honor

by Stephen Feinstein

Sir Thomas More was a devoted family man, a wit, and a high officer of Henry VIII’s court. When he refused to approve Henry VIII as head of the Church of England, he lost his head—literally.

1564–1616

All the World’s a Stage

by Walter Hazen

Two ghost-actors from Shakespeare’s day appear at the rebuilt Globe theater. They stage a one-act play to tell the audience all about the Globe and William Shakespeare—the playwright that made it great.

c. 1590–1653

Artemisia Gentileschi

by Barbara Littman

For many years, people thought that her first known painting was her father’s work. But this Renaissance painter soon became famous in her own right. She traveled all over Europe and painted for the most famous families of the time.

Part III. The World Expands

1215–1294

Silk Road from China

by Judith Lloyd Yero

Song Chau travels the Silk Road with a caravan of traders. He tells of the strange and wonderful things he sees along the way.

c. 1418

The Daring Portuguese

by Lynnette Brent

A Portuguese sailor tells of a troubled voyage down the coast of Africa. Prince Henry the Navigator wants them to reach Cape Bojador. Can they do it?

1519–1522

Voyage Around the World

by Marianne McComb

Magellan’s final voyage includes plenty of action. The crew somehow survives a mutiny, terrible storms, a food supply that runs out, bad drinking water, and disease. After three years, one ship makes it back home—but without Magellan. The people of the Renaissance have circled the entire world!

1588

The Dragon and the Spanish Armada

by Sharon Franklin

A mother tells her son a true story full of powerful personalities. The cast includes Queen Elizabeth I, her rival Philip II of Spain, and the daring naval hero Sir Francis Drake. What happens when the 130 ships of the Spanish Armada enter the English Channel to take on the 40 ships of the English Navy?