The Little Duke

Charlotte Mary Yonge (1823–1901) was a gifted English writer who published about 160 works during her lifetime. Her works reflect a deep and beautiful sense of ethical values and Christian beliefs. My oldest daughter and I have thoroughly enjoyed discovering her books. They are exquisitely written and packed with fascinating characters, meaningful stories, interesting plots, and beautiful examples of high, Christlike character. The Little Duke, based on the true story of Richard the Fearless, was originally written for children, but it is considered very challenging reading today. I would suggest 10+ years old for read-aloud and reading Level 11 or higher for personal reading. The official description reads: “Richard the Fearless, the great-grandfather of William the Conqueror, became Duke of Normandy at just 8 years old, after the assassination of his father. The Little Duke tells the heroic tales of his trials at home in Normandy and at the court in France where he was a prisoner.” I loved this book and its profound messages of improving character, mercy, forgiveness, and treating your enemies with kindness.

This book is integrated with The Good and the Beautiful High School 3 Language Arts Course.  This book is available for purchase as a PDF set at goodandbeautiful.com.