Royal Romps
A Mini-Bibliography for Young Adult Readers
To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. Happy Reading!
Cassette Books
Anna of Byzantium by Tracy Barrett.
RC 49891.
In the eleventh century teenage Princess Anna expects to inherit the throne of the Byzantine Empire from her father. But her grandmother conspires with her younger brother John to displace her. Anna fails to defeat the plot and is exiled to a convent. For grades 6-9 and older readers.
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman.
RC 39832.
Life in the last decade of the thirteenth century as seen through the eyes of a teenage girl. Birdy, the daughter of a minor lord and lady in Lincolnshire, has been ordered by her older brother, a monk, to keep a journal for one year. She reluctantly agrees. In it Birdy portrays the tedium of life in the Middle Ages, the unending chores, the lowly role of women, and the selling of a girl in marriage to the highest bidder. For grades 6-9 and older readers.
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire.
RC 52549.
In this variation on the Cinderella theme, the reclusive beauty Clara is assisted by her "ugly" stepsister. Clara attends the ball, where she captivates the prince. Seventeenth-century Holland, replete with master artist and tulip merchant, is the setting for the wicked stepmother's machinations. Some strong language. For senior high and older readers.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain.
RC 52560.
Classic satire about a nineteenth-century New England factory worker who is knocked unconscious and transported back to the year 528. Hank Morgan awakens in King Arthur's courtin Britain, where he attempts to improve living conditions by introducing modern inventions and democratic ideas. For senior high and older readers.
Court Duel by Sherwood Smith.
RC 47241.
Now that King Galdran has been defeated, Count Branaric has become part of the royal court. His sister Countess Meliara prefers to stay at their castle and return it to its former glory. Meliara will eventually go to court, and there she will find herself in a different kind of battle. Sequel to Crown Duel. For junior and senior high readers.
Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith.
RC 47240.
Siblings Count Branaric and Countess Meliara promise their dying father they will defend their country from the evil ruler Galdran and keep the covenant they have with the mysterious Hill Folk. But this means war, and the country is ill equipped for such an undertaking. Prequel to Court Duel. For junior and senior high readers.
Deerskin by Robin McKinley.
RC 37514.
Based on Donkeyskin by Charles Perrault. Princess Lissar has the most beautiful mother in seven kingdoms, and Lissar will grow up to be just as beautiful. But her beauty will cause much sorrow as she is violated by her own father and forced to flee into the wilderness, with only her beloved dog Ash to comfort and protect her. There she will find peace for her wounded soul, and the love of Prince Ossin. For junior and senior high and older readers.
Elizabeth I, Red Rose of the House of Tudor by Kathryn Lasky.
RC 53917.
When she is eleven years old, Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII of England, begins her three-year series of diary entries. She celebrates holidays and birthdays, relives her mother's execution, revels in her studies, and agonizes over her father's health. For grades 5-8.
The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha by Lloyd Alexander.
RC 17443.
After paying a silver penny to a magician to perform in the town square, a carpenter's helper is conjured to a strange place where the people call him King of Abadan. He enjoys his position as king until grave dangers become apparent as he exercises his royal power. A fantasy for grades 5-8.
The Forever King by Molly Cochran.
RC 37181.
Fantasy that weaves twentieth-century adventure with Arthurian legend. Hal (Sir Galahad), an alcoholic and retired FBI agent, must protect ten-year-old Arthur Blessing (King Arthur) and the powerful Holy Grail from the madman Saladin. Help comes from Mr. Taliesin (Merlin) and Excalibur. Some strong language. For high school and older readers.
Fortune’s Knave by Mary Lide.
RC 41463.
Fictional account of the formative years of William, the only son of Robert, duke of Normandy. Being illegitimate, William has to fight for his right to the title after his father dies in 1035 while on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Attempts on William's life take him to France and the court of Henry I, where he meets his future wife, Matilda of Flanders. Some violence. For high school and older readers.
Girl in a Cage by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Morris.
RC 56457.
1306. As English armies invade Scotland, spunky eleven-year-old Princess Marjorie, the daughter of King Robert the Bruce, is captured and put on public display, locked in an iron cage. Marjorie describes her imprisonment, and tells how she overcame her ordeal. Some violence. For junior and senior high readers.
Goose Chase by Patrice Kindl.
RC 55565.
Rather than marry a cruel king or a seemingly dim-witted prince, an enchanted goose girl endures imprisonment. Her twelve geese help her to escape the locked tower but not the pursuit of the prince. The goose girl has many misadventures before learning her true identity. For grades 6-9.
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde.
RC 56628.
While playing a total immersion virtual reality game full of medieval kings and intrigue, fourteen-year-old Giannine learns that demonstrators protesting such pastimes have damaged the equipment she's connected to. She must win the game quickly or face brain damage. For grades 6-9.
Henry V by William Shakespeare.
RC 35686.
Historical drama. The newly ascended king of England first deals with three suspected traitors. Then, on a pretext, Henry invades France to claim the throne. After his victory in the battle of Agincourt, there is a huge celebration, and Henry turns his attention to his courtship of Catherine of France, as two knaves and a braggart provide comic relief. For high school and adult readers.
The History of Henry IV, Part 1 by William Shakespeare.
RC 49020.
Depicts the early years of the reign of England's Henry IV. The Earl of Northumberland's son, Hotspur, becomes Henry's opponent. Eventually Henry's son, Prince Hal, leaves the merrymaker Falstaff to join the battle at Shrewsbury against Hotspur. Annotated version with historical background and essay on literary perspective. For high school and adult readers.
The History of Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare.
RC 49248.
An annotated version of Shakespeare's play involving Prince Hal, Falstaff, and the troubled monarch, Henry IV. Provides historical perspective and plot summaries. Defines obscure terms and uses modern spelling. For high school and adult readers.
Isabel: Jewel of Castilla by Carolyn Meyer.
RC 54004.
Isabel, the future queen of Spain, begins her diary in 1466, while waiting anxiously for others to choose a husband for her. She chronicles three years of her experiences as a member of the royal family. For grades 5-8.
Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
RC 50346.
This continuation of the Cinderella story opens in the palace, where Ella is learning to be a princess before her wedding. When she realizes how stifling court etiquette can be, Ella tells the boring prince she won't marry him. But she must struggle to gain her freedom. For grades 6-9.
Mammoth Book of Fairy Tales edited by Mike Ashley.
RC 43791.
Anthology of fifty-six tales. Includes both classic fairy tales and modern fantasies arranged alphabetically by title. Old favorites like "Beauty and the Beast," "Jack and the Beanstalk," and "Sleeping Beauty" appear with newer stories by Joan Aiken, Robin McKinley, and Jane Yolen. For junior and senior high and older readers.
Ombria in Shadow by Patricia A. McKillip.
RC 54915.
The death of the prince of Ombria forces a power struggle. The princenamed his young son as his successor, but his evil aunt Domina Pearl becomes the boy's regent. The prince's former mistress, the prince's nephew, and a sorceress join together to fight the oncoming darkness. For senior high readers.
Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris.
RC 56708.
A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father. For grades 5-8.
The Prince and the Pilgrim by Mary Stewart.
RC 46092.
Prince Alexander is heading to Camelot to seek justice for the murder of his father years before. The beautiful young Alice is just returning from a Holy Quest to Jerusalem with her father. Their meeting forms a crossroad for their lives. Some violence. For junior and senior high readers.
Queen’s Own Fool: A Novel of Mary, Queen of Scots by Jane Yolen.
RC 51914.
When twelve-year-old Nicola leaves a traveling group of players in France to become the "fool" for Queen Mary, she finds pleasing physical comforts--warm clothes, good food, and a soft bed. But being the Queen's confidante in a sixteenth-century court of intrigue is more dangerous than she imagined. For junior and senior high readers.
The Shining Company by Rosemary Sutcliff.
RC 33167.
Sutcliff tells a stirring tale based on "The Gododdin," the earliest surviving North British poem. Set in A.D. 600, the story is told by Prosper, who, with his body servant Conn, joins Prince Gorthyn as a shield-bearer. The prince has enlisted in a company formed by King Mynyddog of the Gododdin in an effort to unite the British kingdoms against the ever-present Saxon threat. For junior and senior high and older readers.
Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley.
RC 51708.
An infant princess is cursed on her name day by Pernicia, an evil fairy. Katriona, a young fairy, whisks the baby away to raise as her own, hoping to avoid Pernicia's vengeful powers. Based on the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. For junior and senior high and older readers.
Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon by Lisa Goldstein.
RC 37673.
London , 1590. A band of faeries invades the city as conspirators plot to unseat Queen Elizabeth I. The sprites are looking for their long-awaited king, Arthur—son of Alice Wood, a widowed bookseller. But also searching are alchemist Paul Hogg and famed London author Christopher Marlowe. As their paths cross with the faeries, a battle between good and evil ensues. For high school and older readers.
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.
RC 47183.
Gen, who boasts he can steal anything, is in the king's prison. He is offered a chance of freedom by joining the king's scholar in trying to recover the legendary Hamiathes's Gift Stone. Gen accepts the offer but endures many psychological and physical dangers. Some strong language. For junior and senior high readers.
Tristan and Iseult by Rosemary Sutcliff.
RC 41339.
A retelling of the ancient Celtic tale about the tragic love affair of a warrior and the red-haired princess of Ireland. Violence. For grades 6-9.
The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes.
RC 29489.
A historical novel about the marriage of Elizabeth of York to Henry of Lancaster that ended the Wars of the Roses in fifteenth-century England by uniting the warring families. Although an unsatisfactory relationship, it produced the Tudor dynasty and Henry VIII, who inherited much of his shrewd mother's strength. For high school and adult readers.
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine.
RC 52087.
Until Princess Meryl was struck with the Gray Death, Princess Addie had always been afraid of everything. Now Addie battles specters, gryphons, ogres, and dragons while seeking a cure for her sister. Along the way, she fulfills an ancient prophecy. For grades 5-8.
The World in Amber by A. (Alice) Orr.
RC 25763.
The powerful court sorcerer decides that Ambrose, Lord of the Seven Towered Cities, has neglected his kingly duties long enough. He casts a transforming spell on the royal family—King Ambrose, Queen Maldive, and Prince Isme—so that each is forced to observe himself from a new, eye-opening perspective. Some violence and descriptions of sex. For junior and senior high and older readers.
Braille Books
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman.
BR 50317.
Life in the last decade of the thirteenth century as seen through the eyes of a teenage girl. Birdy, the daughter of a minor lord and lady in Lincolnshire, has been ordered by her older brother, a monk, to keep a journal for one year. She reluctantly agrees. In it Birdy portrays the tedium of life in the Middle Ages, the unending chores, the lowly role of women, and the selling of a girl in marriage to the highest bidder. For grades 6-9 and older readers.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain.
BR 13640.
Classic satire about a nineteenth-century New England factory worker who is knocked unconscious and transported back to the year 528. Hank Morgan awakens in King Arthur's courtin Britain, where he attempts to improve living conditions by introducing modern inventions and democratic ideas. For senior high and older readers.
The Dragon’s Son by Sarah L. Thomson.
BR 15254.
Based on the Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh tales, as well as later legends, tells of family members and servants important in the life of King Arthur, featuring Nimue, Morgan le Fay, Luned, and Mordred. For junior and senior high readers.
The History of Henry IV, Part 1 by William Shakespeare.
BR 11571.
Depicts the early years of the reign of England's Henry IV. The Earl of Northumberland's son, Hotspur, becomes Henry's opponent. Eventually Henry's son, Prince Hal, leaves the merrymaker Falstaff to join the battle at Shrewsbury against Hotspur. Annotated version with historical background and essay on literary perspective. For high school and adult readers.
The History of Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare.
BR 11572.
An annotated version of Shakespeare's play involving Prince Hal, Falstaff, and the troubled monarch, Henry IV. Provides historical perspective and plot summaries. Defines obscure terms and uses modern spelling. For high school and adult readers.
Life of Henry V by William Shakespeare.
BR 1094.
A historical drama dealing with suspected treason, the invasion of France, and a royal courtship. Two knaves and a braggart provide comic relief. For high school and adult readers.
Midnight Magic by Avi.
BR 13138.
One stormy night in 1491 in Italy, Mangus the Magician and his twelve-year-old apprentice, Fabrizio, are summoned to the castle of King Claudio to determine if his daughter, Princess Teresina, is indeed being haunted by a ghost. For grades 5-8.
A Murder for Her Majesty by Beth Hilgartner.
BR 7168.
Eleven-year-old Alice Tuckfield has just witnessed the murder of her father by two of his "friends" whom she believes are agents of Queen Elizabeth I. Disguised as a boy, the frightened Alice flees to York and takes refuge in the York Minster Boys' Choir. For junior and senior high readers.
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain.
BR 9695.
The future Edward VI of England and a young pauper agree to trade places for a few days. The pauper becomes king, and he finds it quite insufferable. Meanwhile, the prince is roaming the street in tatters. People and circumstances almost make the role reversal permanent. For junior and senior high and older readers.
Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon by Lisa Goldstein.
BR 9553.
London , 1590. A band of faeries invades the city as conspirators plot to unseat Queen Elizabeth I. The sprites are looking for their long-awaited king, Arthur—son of Alice Wood, a widowed bookseller. But also searching are alchemist Paul Hogg and famed London author Christopher Marlowe. As their paths cross with the faeries, a battle between good and evil ensues. For high school and older readers.
Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur by Jane Yolen.
BR 15280.
Merlinnus, a magician, devises a way for King Arthur to prove himself the rightful king of England by pulling a sword from a stone. But trouble arises when someone else removes the sword first. For grades 6-9.
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.
BR 11285 or BR 51341.
Gen, who boasts he can steal anything, is in the king's prison. He is offered a chance of freedom by joining the king's scholar in trying to recover the legendary Hamiathes's Gift Stone. Gen accepts the offer but endures many psychological and physical dangers. Some strong language. For junior and senior high readers.
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine.
BR 13432.
Until Princess Meryl was struck with the Gray Death, Princess Addie had always been afraid of everything. Now Addie battles specters, gryphons, ogres, and dragons while seeking a cure for her sister. Along the way, she fulfills an ancient prophecy. For grades 5-8.
Warriors of Camlann by N.M. Browne.
BR 15112.
British teens Dan and Ursula from Warriors of Alavna (BR 15113) attempt to return through time to the present, but they land in the fifth century. Dan becomes a knight to Arturus Urbicus—who may be King Arthur—while Ursula continues her sorcery. Some violence. For junior and senior high readers.
Large Print Books
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman.
LP 859.
Life in the last decade of the thirteenth century as seen through the eyes of a teenage girl. Birdy, the daughter of a minor lord and lady in Lincolnshire, has been ordered by her older brother, a monk, to keep a journal for one year. She reluctantly agrees. In it Birdy portrays the tedium of life in the Middle Ages, the unending chores, the lowly role of women, and the selling of a girl in marriage to the highest bidder. For grades 6-9 and older readers.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain.
LP 662.
Classic satire about a nineteenth-century New England factory worker who is knocked unconscious and transported back to the year 528. Hank Morgan awakens in King Arthur's courtin Britain, where he attempts to improve living conditions by introducing modern inventions and democratic ideas. For senior high and older readers.
The History of Henry IV, Part 1 by William Shakespeare.
BR 11571.
Depicts the early years of the reign of England's Henry IV. The Earl of Northumberland's son, Hotspur, becomes Henry's opponent. Eventually Henry's son, Prince Hal, leaves the merrymaker Falstaff to join the battle at Shrewsbury against Hotspur. Annotated version with historical background and essay on literary perspective. For high school and adult readers.
The History of Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare.
BR 11572.
An annotated version of Shakespeare's play involving Prince Hal, Falstaff, and the troubled monarch, Henry IV. Provides historical perspective and plot summaries. Defines obscure terms and uses modern spelling. For high school and adult readers.
Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
LP 717.
This continuation of the Cinderella story opens in the palace, where Ella is learning to be a princess before her wedding. When she realizes how stifling court etiquette can be, Ella tells the boring prince she won't marry him. But she must struggle to gain her freedom. For grades 6-9.