The Magna Charta

My eleven year old son loves the middle ages and wanted something to read that was not historical fiction. I had a hard time finding age appropriate material. I bought this not sure if it would be interesting enough, or too old-fashioned, but he loves it. He thanked me for buying it for him. Highly recommended.

My 13 year old and I have read "The Magna Charta" together and both learned an enormous amount of information concerning not only the Magna Charta but the history surrounding this document and the rulers who opposed or were forced into the signing of this Charta. This book is written for the Middle School level and my son needed some help with pronunciation, definitions and discussion as we read. Many new concepts were introduced including how Kings ruled their lands during the Medieval time period, relationships between the Pope and King, the transfer of lands and dictatorship, relationships and fighting between rulers of different lands, the development of laws to protect the Kings people, and the progression and refinement of Charters which lead to the Magna Charta. Although the focus of this book is primarily on King John's life and his influence on the Magna Charta, this book is highly recommended for middle schoolers who would also like to learn about past rulers including King Henry, King Richard, King John, Stephen Langton, and other interesting subjects such as the Crusades, The Sheriff of Nottingham, Castles, Runnymede, the Siege of Rochester, the Pope, Hubert de Burgh, the Treaty of Lambeth, and very early American History related to the Magna Charta.

This is such a great way to learn about The Magna Carta and the very interesting character of King John, as well as the other prominent people involved in this landmark historic event. Daugherty's writing style is very entertaining with its large dose of humor & light sarcasm. I am looking forward to reading more of his books with great expectations. The best way to learn history is through wonderful storytelling just like this. Both I and my 12 year old son loved it. Recommended highly!!

My daughter, husband and I all three found this to be a wonderful book. The story was told in a fashion that held the interest of all of us! Learned much from reading this and my 11 year old said she very much liked reading this book.Essential and interesting way to tie together the Magna Charta to U.S. history.