The Crusades
RSS
The Crusades rocked Europe and Jerusalem for over 200 years, from the late 11th century until the Siege of Acre in 1291. In many ways, conflicts over property, culture, and religion in those regions still rage on. Tween and teen readers can experience the Crusades through the fiction included here, and for additional resource material, get your hands on Greenwood's Competing Voices from the Crusades, an anthology that will ground researchers with the facts and events that shaped this volatile period.
GEYER, Flora. Saladin: The Warrior Who Defended His People. (World History Biographies Series). National Geographic. 2006. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-7922-5535-2; PLB $27.90. ISBN 978-0-7922-5536-9.
Gr 2-6-This is a fascinating look at the Crusades from the viewpoint of the Muslim world, with Saladin positioned as the linchpin. Readers will learn about his early life and training, military conquests both with rival tribes and in the Holy War, and the period immediately following the treaty of 1192. The pages are full of primary source materials, including photographs of artifacts, weapons, maps, and manuscripts, and a time line runs across the bottom of the pages making it easier for readers to track dates and significant events. A first-class job. Glossary, bibliography and index included.
JINKS, Catherine. Pagan's Crusade. Bk. 1. (Pagan Chronicles Series). Candlewick. 2004. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-2584-9.
Gr 6-9-Well before she hit it big with Evil Genius, Jinks was creating a world around Pagan, a job-hunting smart-mouthed teen living in 12th-century Jerusalem at the height of the Crusades. This title combines historical detail with a campiness that has become Jinks's calling card. Assigned to work for Lord Roland de Bram of the Templar Knights, charged to protect the Holy Land, Pagan gives readers an open-eyed look at the impact of the impending arrival of Egyptian sultan Saladin and his armies. Readers who like this book should check out Jinks's "De Granville" series, also set during the Crusades.
MACDONALD, Fiona. You Wouldn't Want to Be a Crusader!: A War You'd Rather Not Fight. illus. by Mark Bergin. Children's. 2005. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-0-531-12392-8.
Gr 3-7-Bergin's humorous illustrations are the perfect foil for the smart-alecky text in this fact-filled and totally fun look at the Crusades. Readers are introduced to a dashing young knight who leaves his French family and estate behind in 1096 to heed Pope Urban's plea for help defending the Holy Land. The "Handy Hint" on each spread provides an interesting fact or observation, such as "Make a will! That way, you'll be sure that your sons will inherit your land." Glossary and index included.
SPRADLIN, Michael P. Keeper of the Grail. Bk. 1. (The Youngest Templar Series). Putnam. 2008. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-399-24763-7.
Gr 5-9-As an orphan growing up in an abbey, life has been less than exciting for Tristan-that is, until a group of knights stop by on their way to fight in the Holy Land as part of Richard the Lionheart's crusade. Tristan jumps at the chance to become Sir Thomas's squire, but never imagines the sort of trouble and intrigue he is about to encounter. A Saracen assassin, power-hungry knights, and the Holy Grail are all part of this DaVinci Code-like tale.
WEIL, Sylvie. My Guardian Angel. tr. from French by Gillian Rosner. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Bks. 2004. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-439-57681-9; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-439-57682-6.
Gr 5-8-The year is 1096, and 12-year-old Elvina has been warned about Peter the Hermit and his Crusaders who are working their way through Europe terrorizing Jews and Muslims. When she is forced to decide whether to help a wounded soldier, her mazal (Hebrew for guardian angel) helps lead her and gives her the strength to accept his words of warning, that her city and its people are in danger. Based on a true story and steeped in historical detail, this suspenseful read exposes anti-Semitism in Europe well before the Holocaust.
WEST, David & Jackie Gaff. Richard the Lionheart: The Life of a King and Crusader. illus. by John Cooper. Rosen. 2005. PLB $29.25. ISBN 978-1-4042-0241-2.
Gr 4-8-This title provides a graphically charged and resource-rich look at the Crusades from the perspective of Richard the Lionheart. While trying to defend the Holy Land, his own family is plotting against him, making for some great cloak-and-dagger scenes. Front matter provides a who's who, a map, a family tree of the Angevin Empire, and a brief introduction; back matter contains a glossary, resource list, and index. Entertaining and informative.
