From: Connie Rockman <connie.rock>
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 16:36:49 -0500

I don't think there has been much discussion during this topic of books that illuminate religious issues of the past and there are two new series of historical fiction books that have done that for me this year in a way that helps to build background for understanding some of the difficult issues facing us in the world today.

King of the Middle March, Kevin Crossley-Holland's epic conclusion to his "Arthur" trilogy (the first two books are The Seeing Stone and At the Crossing Places, all published by Scholastic), has Arthur embarking on the ill?ted Fourth Crusade in the early years of the 13th century.
  As he struggles to understand the political and religious issues that are driving the crusading movement, he witnesses moral outrages and acts of violence that shape his own developing moral conscience. The legends of his namesake, King Arthur, and the moral dilemmas faced in those stories, as glimpsed in his "Seeing Stone," further inform Arthur's understanding in this coming of age tale that has so much to convey to today's youth. The seeds of today's Middle East conflict are all there. And Arthur de Caldicot is as winning a character as I've encountered in a long time. These books are richly rewarding - on many levels - for the readers who will stay with them. They have been embraced by both my 14 year old neighbor and my 13 year old nephew.

Catherine Jinks is an Australian author whose four novels about Pagan Kidrouk are just being made available here by Candlewick Press. Pagan is a smart-mouthed, scrappy teenage Arab orphan who was raised in a monastery. Joining the Knights Templar as a squire to the stiff-necked Lord Roland, (mainly to avoid a back alley existence after running away from the monastery) Pagan starts a new life and his unique world view brings to life the Crusader-run Jerusalem of 1187 and its humane conquest by Saladin, after which he and Roland return to the brutal backward manor house in France run by Roland's father. Three books in this series are now available in the States - Pagan's Crusade, Pagan in Exile, and Pagan's Vows, in which Pagan and Roland join a monastery and Pagan uncovers corruption within the walls. Pagan's Scribe will be published next spring. Character development throughout this series is remarkable. Pagan's voice drives the action and through his eyes we get his own pragmatic view of a world that is driven by violence and religious passion. The message is clear. Pagan and Roland are both horrified by violence, especially when done in the name of religious fervor. True spiritual goodness is in kind deeds, not violent acts committed in the name of religion. The cumulative effect - for me - was a close-up look at the European crusading frenzy that sowed the seeds of so much later conflict. Pagan's brief encounter with Saladin in the first novel is particularly memorable.

Both of these books benefit greatly from building background before reading and there are excellent nonfiction books - and web sites - on the era of the Crusades for young people. Here are a few titles: Bailey, Linda. Adventures in the Middle Ages. Illustrated by Bill Slavin. Kids Can Press, 2000. Hanawalt, Barbara A. The Middle Ages: An Illustrated History. Oxford University Press, 1999 Kerhaghan, Pamela. The Crusades: Cultures in Conflict. Cambridge University Press, 1993 Rice, Chris, et. al. Crusades: The Struggle for the Holy Lands. DK Publishing, 2001

Scholastic has discussion guides for the Kevin Crossley-Holland titles on their web site: http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/tradebooks/discguide/

Connie Rockman
Received on Mon 29 Nov 2004 03:36:49 PM CST