Module 9: Castles: Old Stone Poems

Book Summary

The history of the castle is presented in this book, along with beautiful illustrations of exterior landscapes to interior majestic halls to dark, dank dungeons. Images that fill the pages immerse the reader with thoughts of what it would be like to live in these intimidating surroundings. Each image is accompanied by poetry that only hints at their bleak history and the events that surrounded them. The telling begins with the earliest castle, Bodiam Castle, and ends with the modern castle of William Randolph Hurst, before the final fictional entry, an ode to Valhalla, the castle in the sky. After the poems, the authors provide more details on the history of each castle. They also provide a timeline pinpointing each castle within the context of the history of the world.

APA Reference of Book

Lewis, J. & Dotlich, R. (2006). Castles: Old stone poems. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong

Impressions

The illustrations in this book are accurate depictions of the historical castles inside and out. The mood and lighting of each illustration match the mostly dark tales of battle, greed, and power the poems tauntingly hint at concerning their past. Only those readers who know the history associated with each castle will be able to fully understand the subtle references in each poem, such as in this stanza about Queen Elizabeth’s sister Mary, whom she had murdered, “Behind your iron gates are ghosts of those who wrote, who came to sing; A room where Mary, Queen of Scots, bore her Scottish king." Each poem creates a mood enhanced by the illustrations. History is only hinted at, and that might lead the young reader to research their history. Some basic notes of the history of each castle is given in the back of the book, along with the timeline of when they were built, along other events of historical note. If they are ready, young readers will be led beyond fairytale princesses and into the real history of the world. 

Professional Review

Burr's oil paintings capture the grandeur, loneliness, and mood of each castle in evocative shades of light and dark. Yet while the subject matter and rich illustrations are ripe for kid appeal, the book's lack of focus may ultimately lose its intended audience. Readers will undoubtedly wonder why the castles themselves are not pictured in a number of the poems. Likewise, the lofty, sometimes awkward verse and cryptic references to historical events will leave most children confused. With adult support to tie together facts and poetic references, a small niche of castle fanatics may be willing to invest the time needed to uncover the juicy tales behind these poems.

Maza, J. H. (2006, October). Castles: Old stone poems. [Review of the book Castles: Old 
       stone poems, by J. Lewis & R. Dotlich.] School Library Journal, 52(10), 179. Retrieved from www.slj.com

Library Uses

This book could be used to teach a library lesson on research using resources found in the library and online. The librarian would need to share this book with her upper elementary students, flesh out a few of the tales associated with the subtle hints mentioned in the poems, and demonstrate how to find historical information to fully understand the historical significance of the castles.