I've always loved books by
Marguerite De Angeli - even before I was old enough to notice the author of a book.
The first book by her was Skippack School. Here is a portion of its forward:
"
Creak! Creak! The wheels of the cart groaned and squeaked as the wagon carried little Eli Shrawder and his family over the road through Philadelphia and the German Town to settle in a new home in Penn's Woods.
The Shrawders had come from across the sea to make a new home in the Mennonite settlement on the Skippack. The first days there, with the neighbors gathered to help build their house, were exciting for Eli. And like most real boys he preferred to chase squirrels, go fishing, or work on the wooden bench he was carving for Mom than go to school. But with such a schoolmaster as Christopher Dock, he soon found himself wanting to learn his letters.
How Eli planned a surprise for his schoolmates and won a prize from his schoolmaster is a story full of the fun, mischief and work of school days of any time. Around the real character of Christopher Dock, who has come down from the 1700's in the history of Skippack and Germantown as a beloved schoolmaster…"
Later, our family read
A Door in the Wall. The story, illustrated by the author, is set in Britain during the Middle Ages, as the bubonic plague is sweeping across the country.
Young Robin wants to be a knight like his father, but his dreams are endangered when he becomes ill and loses the use of his legs. A doctor reassures Robin that the weakness in his legs is not caused by the plague. His parents are away, serving the king and queen during war, and the servants abandon the house, fearing the plague. Robin is saved by Brother Luke, a friar, who takes him to a monastery and cares for him.
Brother Luke teaches Robin how to swim and carve wood, but Robin also learns patience and strength from the friar. The friar also keeps telling him before overcoming a challenge you must first find "the door in the wall".
A few years ago, while our family was at a campground, I found Petite Suzanne in the rec hall - water damaged and forgotten. I offered to buy it, but the campground owner let me have it. It's about a Canandian French girl, growing up on the Gaspe Bay.
Marguerite De Angeli brings other times and other cultures to life for children. She's been an inspiration to me as a writer. For a list of her writings:
(Click Here)
