







The Picture Books:

1.
Saint George and the Dragon
, retold by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
A retelling of Edmund Spenser's
Faerie Queene
, this book really helped when I finally sat down to read the original. Granted, convincing Dr. M. that I really had read it as a child was a bit on the difficult side!

2.
Gilgamesh The King
, retold and illustrated by Ludmila Zeman
A retelling of
Gilgamesh, and apparently one of a series.

3.
Merlin and the Dragons
, by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Li Ming
A King Arthur story, Jane Yolen has (again) created a new story that feels like an old one we should have known.

4.
Canterbury Tales
, selected, translated, and adapted by Barbara Cohen, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
A retelling of Geoffrey Chaucer's
Canterbury Tales
, in clear but poetic language, and beautifully illustrated. I think she's also published some posters of individual characters, taken from this book.

5.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, illustrations by Gustave Dore, editor Anne Rooney
A picture book version of this famous narrative poem, the illustrations are just gorgeous, and quite helpful in providing context.

6.
The Children's Classic Poetry Collection
, compiled by Nicola Baxter, illustrated by Cathie Shuttleworth
It may look like a picture book, but it reads like a Norton!
The Novels:

7.
The Sea of Trolls
, by Nancy Farmer
What happens after
Beowulf
?

8.
The Eyre Affaire
, by Jasper Fforde
*Wicked giggles* When you take getting lost in a book to the next level . . .

9.
Firebrand
, by Marion Zimmer Bradley
This is the retelling of the fall of Troy that brought it to life for me - told from Kassandra's viewpoint.

10.
Goddess of Yesterday: A Tale of Troy
, by Caroline Cooney
Another story of Troy, this one from a different viewpoint.
It's ironic that one of these books is the Canterbury Tales, which we're currently reading in school!
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