group of the three young reviewers from the Hogan family
Set in 12th century England, Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe is the story of a disinherited knight upon his return from the Crusades. The knight encounters civil unrest, beautiful maidens, traitorous knights, miserly Jews, and intrigue.
The language is archaic, and is written in "Olde" English. The exciting plot more that compensates however, for the difficulties with the language. The glossary also helps explain some of the obscure references encountered in the novel.
The Second Mrs. Giaconda is a fascinating book about a young thief who becomes apprenticed to Leonardo da Vinci. This work of historical fiction is set in the latter half of the fifteenth century. The plot revolves around three characters- the famous artist, Leonardo, his apprentice, Salai, and the Duchess Beatrice d'Este. The novel is written from Salai's viewpoint, and we get a good feel for Leonardo's character. We see that Leonardo is shy, and yet brilliant. We see how Leonardo is so unreliable, particularly when he is distracted by his work.