Who in the World Was the Unready King? : The Story of Ethelred

Enjoyed by readers of age: Around 4 years old

Read the most by: boys and girls

Ethelred’s mother stood behind him. The archbishop smeared holy oil on Ethelred’s shoulders and hands. He gave Ethelred a heavy sword and placed a gold crown on his head. The crown was too big—it fell over his eyes, and Ethelred almost dropped the sword on the archbishop’s foot. How did Ethelred become king when he was only ten years old?



Outstanding illustrations from Jed Mickle complement the fabulous story, giving second-grade readers insight into the life of this influential figure.



About the series: The classical curriculum introduces even the youngest student to the pleasures of true learning. Elementary students learn history not through predigested textbooks with multiple-choice answers, but through reading the stories of history. Unfortunately, biographies of great men and women of the past are almost all written for older students, limiting the ability of young students to explore history through reading. Libraries are crammed with biographies written for high school students and adults—while beginning readers are provided with a shelf full of junior-level books about football players, NASCAR drivers, and movie stars.



Now, Peace Hill Press puts real history back into the grasp of the youngest historians with the Who in the World Biography Series. The first entries in the series provide young readers and their parents and teachers with biographies of great men and women of the Middle Ages. Designed to be used as part of The Story of the World curriculum, these biographies give beginning historians in grades 2–4 a chance to explore beyond the textbook. An audio version is also available separately.