One of the best ways I ever found of learning history was to read historical fiction and understand the times through the eyes of a sympathetic character. Here is just such an opportunity. Birdy is a fourteen-year-old girl living in medieval England. She has a great sense of herself, and we get to see into her heart through reading her diary. It's fiction, of course, but it is filled with enough detail to give you a real feel for life back then. You'll delight in Birdy's machinations as she maneuvers to defeat various suitors. She's the daughter of a minor nobleman and, as such, is a worthy prize. 224 pages Ages 11-14