Great Medieval Projects You Can Build Yourself

-School Library Journal April 09  "This book looks at medieval society, folklore, and culture between the years 350 to 1450 and provides some hands-on activities along the way. Divided into 12 chapters, the text relates information on kings and queens, knights and armor, warfare, everyday life, and religious life. Projects include making a trebuchet, marshmallow cannon, some period recipes, and a thatched roof. The material is well written and interesting. . .  The directions for the projects are easy to follow. . . this is a useful text"

"In this handy and well written guide to medieval life, Bordessa not only teaches about the Middle Ages, but includes in each chapter easy to do, interesting, and educational projects that illuminate each subject. . . The many illustrations provide a good feel to the book and the included vocabulary sidebars will help children reading the book on their own (and this is one history book that many children will find inviting.) There is plenty of good history, easy to read, and sneakily educational."-Sacramento Book Review January 09

I've never been to the Renaissance Faire, but castles, knights and all things medieval are a part of our daily life. So I'll start first with a review of Great Medieval Projects You Can Build Yourself, written by the incredibly creative and talented Kris Bordessa (a Northern California resident). When I first hear the title, I thought "hmmm'. . . we're going to learn how to build a guillotine and pour boiling oil on the mailman from the top floor of our house?" Uh, no. Instead, we learned about medieval beliefs, life in monasteries, the makings of a medieval feast and lots on warfare (a favorite topic among 5 year old boys). This book is aimed at kids 9-12, much older than my kids. But that just means we read 2 pages at a time, instead of reading it cover to cover.
- Frisco Kids  October 8, 2008

"A brand-new title, Great Medieval Projects You Can Build Yourself by Kris Bordessa targets an older audience. It is much more than just an activity guide; we were all fascinated by the amount of information presented in its pages. Throughout, the "Words to Know" text boxes define new terms, a great opportunity for vocabulary learning. Frequent "Did You Know?" sidebars encourage a better understanding of the times. Of course, the heart of the book is the "Make Your Own" instructions for projects. Older children will be able to complete these with minimal oversight from parents."
-Homeschooling Today, November/December 2008