This Year's First Read Aloud

We study history chronologically.  It is easier for me to plan and the children to place events and people in time.  Often our read alouds follow along the history studies by being either set or written in the time period we are currently studying.  We started the year studying the Renaissance time period.  Our first read aloud was set in that time period.

A historical fiction selection called The Apprentice, by Pilar Molina Llorente, tells the tale of a boy named Arduino.  As a son of a skilled tailor, Arduino is expected to study under his father, but his passion lies in drawing and painting.  His father, recognizing his son's talent, arranges an apprenticeship under a painter.  The apprenticeship is conditional on Arduino's talent and behavior.  Conflict arises as Arduino discovers a secret while living at the painter's house, and must decide what to do about it. 

Overall, the story offered enough suspense and intrigue to keep my children interested in Arduino's plight.  By reading through the book, we gleaned an appreciation for the guild system of masters and apprentices during the Renaissance time period.

Linking with Read Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word