Master Cornhill

Perhaps more likely to appeal to young males, this coming of age story centers on Master Cornhill, a twice-orphaned lad of 11 1/2 years. Due to the sweep of the Black Plague in 1665 he is left without a home, family, or friends. He is left to shift for himself as he forms new acquaintances. As if things were not difficult enough, the following year brings the Great Fire of London. The book is rich in period detail and daft language of the times. If you have read aloud a few nonsensical children's storybooks it will be easy to have fun with such words as tarradiddle, Lud (Lord), or nowt-head (knothead or numbskull). It is also very useful to have watched Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett), Hercule Poirot, Jane Austen, and other period pieces. The cockney and courtly languages of London comes alive in those productions. There are also several Dutch words sprinkled in, most of which are self-explanatory. Jongen means young one, grootvader I think is grandfather, and meidje means maid for a few examples. The reader learns about balladeers, map-colorers, shopkeepers, boatmen, and a several other trades. This makes a fine read-aloud for grades 2-5 or 6 and an independent read for grades 5-10.