Medieval Reading List

For our high school class studying the Middle Ages (c. 500-1500)

To be further updated.

Movies:

• Pendragon Sword of His Father
• St. Anthony of Padua
• Very Late Medieval: A Man for All Seasons
• Very Late Medieval: Luther
• Very Late Medieval Ignatius: Soldier, Sinner, Saint 

Computer Games

• Joan of Arc Campaign on Age of Empires II (etc)
• [Mount and Blade computer game, the Saxon vs Danes one]

Novels:

• The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff
• Rolf and the Viking Bow by Alfred French
• ?Beorn the Proud  OR Flame over Tara
• In Freedom's Cause G.A. Henty (original edition)
• ???The King's Shadow
• ???Son of Charlamagne

Primary Sources

Pre-medieval but shaped the middle ages

1. The Gospels 
2. The book of Psalms
3. The Shepherd of Hermas
4. ?Didache
5. Maccabbees
6. ??Some Early Church Fathers Reader
7. Augustine's Confessions + City of God
8. Catechetical Lectures by Cyril of Jerusalem
9. Novels of Justinian (laws)
10. [[History of the Wars--Procopius, but he's kinda a skunk]]

Early Medieval Texts 

1. ??Snorri's Viking Sagas (ask dad) also find some interesting viking sagas about drama and stuff
2. Boethius consolation of philosophy
3. History of Franks by Gregory of Tours
4. Salian Frankish lawcode
5. St. Patricks Confessio and letter to Coroticis
6. Venerable Bede history of the English People
7. Beowulf
8. Poems of Cynewulf
9. The Heliand*
10. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
11. (history of the Germans 900s by a monk whose name starts with an A)
12. History of ht eTuetonic crusadeds in the 1100s by another monk whose name starts with an A)
13. ?Einhard's Charlagmane
14. Where is Charlamagne's laws? (no burning witches)
15. ?That monk who survived drowning in a bucket and the neighbor lady gave him honey as a baby

High Medieval?

1. Rule of St. Benedict
2. EXCERPTS from the Golden Legend (its like 6 books long)
3.  Assize of Clarendon (1166) [short, legal stuff]
4. SOMETHING by or about Bernard of Clairvaux (hannah fin
5. Life of St. Louis (IX) by John of Joinville [John of Joinville also wrote memoirs?]
6. d your notes)
7. ??Something by Aquinas
8. ?SOMETHING by that idealistic pope who argued with Eleanor of Aquitaine
9. ???Letters between Eleanor and Henry at the end, hoping their son wen to heaven, about that ring. Also quick primer on that whole crazy mess, and courtly love [too soap opera-ish?], and Robin hood etc. [lion in winter worth watching?]Chrétien de Troyes – Arthurian romances (Lancelot, Yvain, etc.) All the way to Richard the Lionheart, his saga, and Robin hood and all of it???
10. Thomas A Beckett letter to Henry II [state v church]
11. Something by Francis of Assisi
12. ?Isaac of Stella
13. Gratian's Decretum (canon laws, 1100s)
14. Deeds of the Franks
15. Deeds of Tancred
16. The Pearl by the Pearl Poet
17. Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight by the Pearl Poet 
18. Poems of Marie of Champagne
19. Open letters between Gregory VII vs Henry IV (investiture controversy)
20. The Song of Roland
21. Ok so a morbid rabbit trail on medieval suicide and heart-staking, but I found sunagainstgold's post very illuminating on how the bishop insisted they exorcise the corpse with an absolution paper and not a heart-staking. It seems there was a pre-existing pagan way of deal with corpses (see Rolf and the Viking bow...need to see if its in the sagas) and then there was the "new" christian way using the absolution paper. Here and Here (William of Newburgh "History of English Affairs" 1200s. Also he says that Geoffrey of Monmouth "lies about everything". Interesting....)
22. Stuff from my "death in the middle ages" class.

Late Medieval

1. Morality plays and Bible Story plays
2. Dante's Trilogy
3. Julian of Norwich
4. Trial Documents of Joan of Arc 
5. Machiavelli's "The Prince"
6. Margaret of Porete "mirror of souls"
7. ?Piers Plowman excerpt
8. 
   

VERY LATE MEDIEVAL/REFORMATION (maybe do this next year)

1. Some excerpt of the Nun's tale or the Knight's tale (the non-bawdy ones) from Chaucer, as a spoof on the middle ages, which it was.
2. Luther's 95 Theses
3. Pope's letters responding to 95 Theses
4. Diaries of Christopher Columbus
5. John of the Cross (dark knight of the soul, ascent of mount carmel etc)
6. ?Thomas A Kempis
7. Therese of Avila (Interior castle)
8. Practice of the Presence of God (Brother Lawrence)

Secondary Sources/Modern Histories

1. Joan of Arc Her Story by Regine Pernoud
2. The Templars by Regine Pernoud
3. Justinian and Theodora (Bekahs thesis or reccs...)
4. 1066 by David Howarth
5. Church Fathers by Benedict XVI
6. 
   

Payson in May

 Payson in May. A bit of a heatwave for Payson, it was a high of 88 and low of 55 at night. Christopher Creek by the campground was pretty shallow (but trickling along!) since we had a rather dry spring, but we drove to SEE canyon trailhead a couple miles away, where there was significantly more water.

UV index is at a 10 in May, though the temperatures were similar to our October trip (67/45), the UV was much higher (10 in May, 6 in October).

This time I remembered to bring special snacks on the hike. It is the most important tip to hiking with kids ever.

We went on a hike to SEE Canyon trailhead, choosing the SEE canyon spring (which has more water in it than the SEE canyon trail.)

We went on a hike from 10am to 4pm. 

We kept our hats on except for Irene who managed valiantly to lose a hat, despite mom running back and forth over the trail TWICE.

We burned probably half as much as we did in October. (Irene burnt about the same or maybe a little less....Not sure how to factor this in since she was wearing a hat somewhat, as I had a backup hat for her....so not sure how much was the hat and how much was the sunscreen) Whose UV Index was 6 instead of 10. Which means that Coppertone Sport Mineral is atleast 2x as effective as that other one. Which makes sense since this one was 24% zinc oxide, and the other one was only 8% zinc oxide and 7% titanium dioxide)

The burn the next day, after we came home. I think she's looking less crispy than our October adventure, although she did wear her hat more this time as well. But the UV was 10 instead of 6. 

So, I will keep using it

BUT----I need to reapply this stuff. Once at 8am wasn't enough. I need to do a noon-reapplication for the kids. Keep some in an insulated bag in the backpack. 

AND---I need to make some mineral sunscreen chapstick. [tutorial HERE when I do it]. All our lips burned. The sunscreen doesn't stay on lips.

Pine trees against the stars are one of my favorite parts of camping....

It was fun. The kids foraged for wood and built the fires. We consumed many marshamellows. 

And then we drove back into our desert valley....

And then my mother in law gave me this piece of living beauty. Pale pink roses with dark leaves, my favorite kind of rose since I was 14 and saw them growing on that old split rail fence in Alabama....

It was a good Mother's Day weekend.

Tentative High School Plans

 Tentative High School Plans

But remember, even though school is important, camping as a family is more important....

	2026-27	2027-28	2028-29	2029-30
	I-9 J-8 K-7 M-5 S-4 A-2 R-1	I-10 J-9 K-8 M-6 S-5 A-3 R-2	I-11 J-10 K-9 M-7 S-6 A-4 R-3 I-1	I-12 J-11 K-10 M-8 S-7 A-5 R-4 I-2
History & Great Books	Medieval	Early Modern	Modern	Ancients
Math	Algebra 1- IJ 76--KM	Algebra 2 –IJ Alg ½ --KM	Adv Math--IJ Alg 1---KM	Stuart’s Calc AB—IJ Alg 2—KM
Science	Biology Ecology/Agriculture	Conceptual Physics Astronomy	Chemistry	Freshman physics
Applied Science	Economics & Budgeting	Government	Computer Programming	Engineering
Hebrew	Biblical Hebrew 2 A w/B 1-100	Seow? Lambdin? A w/B 100-200	Read Tanakh 3 chapters/day  Seow? Lambdin?	Read Tanakh 3 chapters/day
Skills	·         Common Sense (finding games) ·         Summarize back my argument! ·         Find the Theme, summarize the story/article/chapter ·         Mulch (200 wheelbarrows) ·         Stucco ·         Paint the Stucco Wall ·         Build Shade-Structures ·         Put in shade sales ·         Build Benches ·         Mount Gutters ·         Electrical (lights, fans) Shed roof (waterproof)	·         Gardening ·         Construction ·         Drywall [false wall,patching] ·         Painting (paint interior house) ·          ALL ELECTRICAL WORK (lights, fans) ·         Flooring ·         Meal Prep and batch cooking healthy meals	·         Woodworking, build bookshelves etc. ·         Renovate a Kitchen ·         Drivers Ed ·         Meal Prep and batch cooking healthy meals ·         Build a NICE Pergola	·         Foundation (House Shed) ·         Construction (House Shed) ·         Electrical (House Shed) ·         Interior Finishing Drywall Paint(House Shed) Flooring (house shed)

History and Great Books

Focus on Primary sources as much as we can. Try to show them how to find information. I want them to know how to use the tools of research to learn history and truth the rest of their lives. Help them to see everyone in history as a person. I want them to see Good v Evil in history. But I also want them to see everyone as a person, to study people on their own beliefs and motivations. Theory of the mind is important---to understand people on their own terms/religion/beliefs.

Only after you have understood someone can you really make a personal judgment about them. 

Only Jesus is Judge of the Earth, because only He knows the struggle in every human heart.

Math

Saxon math until calculus, then switch to Stuart's calculus. Look for a good online program, with visualization for all the limits and integral stuff. A picture is worth a thousand words, especially in Calculus. When I was learning it, my biggest problem was seeing it as this mystical ritual. When I finally saw the pictures, and realized it really was just adding up lots of little slices, it actually made sense.

Science

I will teach Conceptual Physics at Co-op.  Supplement with a cool Astronomy book and a bit on stellar evolution because it is cool. Teach Biology alongside its applications, Ecology (Greening the Desert and Brad Lancaster's books) and Agriculture (Use Jenny's Agriculture textbook....have Jenny teach it). Have Josh teach chemistry or outsource it. Then 4th year, teach Freshman Level physics using Halliday and Resnick. Or find a good online course to teach it, but really use the calculus here.

Applied Science

Economics and then Government. Because that's the direction I feel like you need to learn it in.  Haven't figured out a curriculum yet, though I feel like some Thomas Sowell is needed. I may outsource these to online courses. If there's an online course that uses a lot of Thomas Sowell, I will sign on.

Computer Programming---find an online course or outsource this. 

Engineering---find an online course or outsource this. Sign up I & J together.

Hebrew

Aleph with Beth to introduce it, DuoLingo's Modern Hebrew Course for reinforcement, Alef Press's Biblical Hebrew 2 for getting the basic grammar down. 

When they complete that, then follow up with reading through the Tanakh every year (its actually only 2 chapters/day, not counting Psalms and Proverbs, which you can cycle through separately), to build vocabulary while working through either Lambdin's Grammar or Seow's or some other seminary level text. (Gesenius grammar???)

Skills

I want them to know how to do these things, at least a little. They don't have to master all of these skills, but to basically know how to do them, and enough to have the fear rubbed off of them, that if they actually have to do them, they can jump right in and hit the ground running.

• How to Garden--how to start, from double digging, raised beds, build microclimates, using mulch and paths etc
• How to Garden---how to work with your seasons, climate, recognize and find microclimates, find good plants for your climate (David the Good), and how to extend your seasons etc. Which vegetables to grow, etc.
• How to Frame a shed/house
• How to install a light junction box, how to tap into the power and install new electrical outlets, and how to make sure you don't overload the circuit!
• How to put in a cieling fan.
• How to mount drywall and mud it.
• Painting walls and trim and ceilings. Installing baseboards etc.
• How to hang a door
• How to stucco a wall
• How to build a Pergola
• How to sew and mount shade sails
• How to mount gutters and french drains (re-direct water)
• How to patch drywall with a california patch
• How to install flooring (vinyl plank, and roll-out linoleum)
• How to build a shed roof
• How to renovate a Kitchen on a budget....
• How to budget, and balance a budget!
• How to drive
• How to cook and meal plan to maximize health and nutrition on a budget
• How to batch cook and meal prep!!
• How to write a resume
• How to apply for jobs
• How to build a shelter
• How to build a fire
• How to improvise a rocket stove
• How to conserve water and "plant the rain"

Sewing Plans 2026

Sewing 2026.

MAKE COVER FOR WHITE ROCKING CHAIR SEAT,
Cover the Couch!

The general plan is to make a prototype and wear it for at least 2 weeks. Then, making adjustments as necessary, to batch sew/mass produce about 4 or 5 of them. This is much more efficient.

1. FOR THE KIDS---sew it WITH them. Everyone over 7 helps make their own.
1. Ranger Cloaks for Everyone
2. Circle skirts for everyone
3. Desert Ranger Tunics for Everyone [Desert Medieval]
4. Pouches for everyone. Canvas and leather
5. Half Aprons for everyone [make 4 for me]
6. Hobbit Dresses 2026!!! FORE EVERYONE, FOR BEKAH’S KIDS TOO
7. Elven Dresses 2025 [for Each girl. T-shirt material for Irene, Ruhi, Ana. Use wovens for J,K,M,S]
8. !!!!Jedi Robes for ALL the Padawans [they help design it for their character] This is our Magnum Opus
2. SKIRTS
1.  4 circle skirts/gathered circle [brown, tan, grey, hunter green, olive green, dark red]
2. Victorian Skirt [tummy tissue redistribution]
3. Victorian Skirt with lacing adjustment. 
4. Victorian Skirt in sea green with black trim....[for Sherri]
5. 1 yoked double petti-skirt [copied from the 00's skirt], yoked tummy panel for tissue redistribution
3. Blouse Experiments
1. White blouse experiment---knit bodice, and woven long puffed sleeves….bottom puff, normal top, etc. Short sleeve, large hanging half sleeve, long sleeve. Woven sleeves, t shirt bodice, square neck
2. Anne Of Avonlea blouses---woven sleeves and yoke, knit body
3. 4 blouses [make tunic length, slit sides at hip??,] cuffed sleeve???
4.  1 blouse, open sleeve end [summer, trying to keep sun off but also heat away, experimental]
4. Medieval Tunics (3)
1. Desert Ranger Tunics
1. Half Sleeve
2. Foldable long sleeves...
2. T shirt tunic
3. 5 Plain olive green T tunic, brown closure. Fitted, but pull on. Trimmed and side-slit edge, tunic length. Want to make from linen.
4. Medieval fit n flare tunics for Jenny [so she can run in them]
5. Overtunics
1. [4-8 hrs?]1 brown/olive green Medieval Ranger-ish 'overtunic'. padded shoulders, sleeveless, front closure, flare out at the sides for movement, above knee length. Dunedein.  [experimental]
2. Jedi Robe, styled off of ObiWan's in TPM. Make the sleeves separate, so it can be worn in hot weather. Long sleeve under. Top tnic part.
6. FINISH THE JOB
1. Dirndle It. [at least 6 dresses...]
2. Go through woven blouse stash, taking in sides, adding puffed sleeves etc
7. DIRNDL 
1.  Bodice
1. 1 bodice
2. Experimental bodice from existing princess seamed womens shirt.
2. 5 basic cotton dirndls [like the blue one, but with a full circle] MASS PRODUCTION, BATCH SEW
1. olive green
2. Hunter green 
3. brown
4. burnt orange
5. crimson red with a hunter green skirt 

WINTER SEWING (Push off to Jan 2027?)

1. Medievalish, mens long sleeve shirts to tunic dresses (use the rebels shirt), basically, loose, but a tight waistband of contrast t shirt fabric and the rest of the shirt comes down long enough to cover bum leggings
2. Really cool belt thingy. 2 belts, looped together with slots for an additional 2 shoulder strap belts. Pouches for things---knives, waterbottle, tinderbox....wallet, keys, phone.
3. TIGHTEN all leggings
4. Add cuffs and pockets to the elf-coat
5. Tighten the sides and extend the sleeves for ALL my long sleeved shirts
6. Extend the sleeves of long sleeve shirts
1. Simple
2. extended point
3. dropped puff, brown honeymoon shirt [only for scoop necked long sleeve shirts]
7. MAKE OR Add tummy panels to all  underpants---to help with my scar tissue redistribution  

Cousins!!! Christmas memories

Coming back from Christmas we stopped by "The Cousins" house in Texas. 

Much fun was had. Braums icecream has a mythical status in our house, as it is only in Texas and Oklahoma. On the drive out, the kids were begging me at 10 pm when we crossed into Oklahoma after 14 hours of driving, to stop and get them icecream at the Braums. I told them they were shut. And we'd stop on the way back

Stopping on the way back, with an envelope of cash from the Great Grandmother with the instructions to eat icecream with it, here we are.

BOTH of these kids know how to pose. And she's only 6 months old....

This one looks like our babies did. Keziah, to be precise.

Trying to juggle 2 babies who wanted to be held, and were desperately hungry for Banana. On looking at the photos now, it seemed the 6 month old rallied herself to smile at the camerakid.

My kids using Photoshop after the vacation

The little peaceful grumpiness <3

Making hamburgers

Note how the 6 month old manages to maintain eyecontact and smile at the cameraman (me, I think) through almost all these pictures.....

Distracted only because she is smiling at someone else.

 Good memories....