Otto of the Silver Hand

In the lawless Germany of the robber barons, Otto is the gentle son of a fierce fighting lord, raised quietly among the monks of a peaceful abbey where he learns to read and to value mercy. When the old feuds catch up with his family, the boy is dragged into a world of violence that costs him terribly and gives the book its haunting title. Howard Pyle wrote and illustrated this short medieval tale in 1888, and its somber beauty sets it apart from the lighter children’s stories of the age. Quietly, it weighs kindness against cruelty in a brutal time. Free PDF and EPUB editions are available to download.