Historical Fiction

This gripping, medieval tale follows a young servant boy of thirteen bound to the land of Lord Furnival and known only as Asta's son. After his mothers death, the boy is witness to a clandestine meeting in the forest between John Aycliffe, Lady Furnival's cousin, and a stranger. Unable to comprehend the reason for the meeting, the boy discerns it is of great importance. He is discovered. John Aycliffe, with hate and contempt in his eyes, goes for the boy with his sword. The boy flees to the deep woods and is hidden by the cover of darkness. The next morning brings the destruction of his home and a false charge of theft against him. Seeking aid from the village priest, he learns his name is Crispin. Why would his mother keep this from him? The priest continues that Crispin's mother could read and write, impossible for a mere servant woman, and he gives Crispin the lead cross his mother so often held in prayer. Writing on the cross holds the key to Crispin's identity and the identity of his father. But he must run, seeking safety in other lands or face certain death by John Aycliffe.

A frightening journey alone on the road has Crispin believing God is against him. Hunger drives him to ask a stranger for food and he finds himself bound again in servitude to Bear, a burly traveling juggler. As Crispin travels with Bear he discovers that in this juggler he has found true friend, a friend who helps him discover not only who he is but also who he wants to be.

The setting of this story is medieval England in 1377, when monarchy and self-loathing, deprecating religious beliefs rule the land. When you are but a lowly servant surely, even God looks down upon you and brings His power against you to keep you in place, or so the masters would have you believe. When Bear asks, "Do you believe that someday none of us will have masters?" Crispin answers "God has willed it otherwise". This sense of hopelessness is clearly conveyed.

Disease is common and destroys entire villages. As the duo travel into Great Wexly, the stench of cities of old is brought to life. Sewage runs down the middle of the street and is often thrown from windows onto passersby below.

The characters are interesting and a believable representation of people in that period. In times when persecution is common, free thinkers and rebels will be found. Secret meetings, allegiances and resistance are expected. This is a fast moving and exciting story that is easy to follow. Intermediate readers and up will enjoy traveling with Crispin through his harrowing experiences and into his self-discovery.

"Now and then, with great rarity, there came a blending of steel and wood and brass and a mans knowledge into one rifle, when it all came together just exactly right and a weapon of such beauty and accuracy was born that it might actually be worshipped. Such rifles were called "sweet" and were, almost literally, priceless". Cornish McManus was not just a gunsmith, he was also an artist. He spent many hours daydreaming and spending time trying to perfect a rifles form or finish or sketching new ideas for rifle design. Upon finding a beautiful piece of bird's eye maple, Cornish dreams of a new rifle, not just an average firearm but a true work of art.

For nearly a year, Cornish worked into the night on this rifle; it had become like a child to him. When he finished, it took him some time to work up the courage to fire it for fear it would be inaccurate and all of his work would be useless. Finally he tests the rifle and finds it is so accurate that all three shots enter the same hole. It is sweet.

Falling in love as many men do, Cornish regretfully sells the rifle to John Byam, a man who lived or died by the accuracy of his rifle, to gain money for marriage. Byam had been away hunting in isolation for two years and was unaware of the revolutionary war with England. Traveling through the farm of an older couple, Byam see the man upon horseback with a rope around his neck. British soldiers held his wife and intended to hang the man. Byam attempts to save the him and shoots a British soldier. This sends him riding for his life and seeking aid from a group of American patriots. He joins them and goes to help in the war against England. The accuracy of the rifle is famous and when Byam dies in the field the rifles adventure continues. It is stolen but it is never used again but stored for over 200 years in the rafters of an attic. No one knows the revolutionary history of the gun.

When it is finally discovered, the rifle is bartered to Harv Kline in exchange for automobile repairs. Harv loves old guns and takes it home, where it hangs over his mantle. This may be of no consequence if it were not for the boy.

This is an exciting tale on the life of a rifle and an example of how so many things can come together to produce a certain poignant event. As the rifle moves through time, the reader is introduced to settings from the 1700s into present day. Cornish and Byam are pioneers, living in early America when a gun could mean life or death. By the time rifle is discovered in its resting-place, rifles are not needed for daily living and it is treated as a quaint artifact. There is a brief introduction to the boy, just enough for us to come to know him and be affected by the event. It is an intriguing story that can be enjoyed by both boys and girls and could be an interesting addition to an early American history lessons.

Kenny is a good boy but with his lazy eye, he is an easy target for bullies. Byron keeps the other bullies at bay but enjoys tormenting Kenny himself with wild stories and teasing. When Byron plays with fire, Momma is bound to teach him a painful lesson, but little sister Joetta intervenes. Then Daddy Cool gets some news. Momma and Daddy say it is time to visit Grandma Sands in Birmingham, where they will leave Byron for the summer and possibly the whole next school year. Daddy tells Kenny that things are going on in the world and Byron needs to see them. His time for playing is almost over and he will need to be ready to grow up and take responsibility.

When one of the darkest moments of the civil rights era hits too close to home and Kenny must fight the Wool Pooh demon, it is brother Byron who helps him overcome. Kenny is the one who gains a new understanding of the world and of himself, while it seems Byron had a good heart all along.

This civil rights era story has beautiful and believable characterization. Each character has depth of personality, showing both good and bad traits. The prose is clever and entertaining and the southern accent is amusingly but respectfully portrayed. The early sixties time period is conveyed through early technology, attitudes and national events. The pinnacle moment in the story came as a genuine shock and yet it was clearly suitable for the time. This was an artfully written story that should be in every school library and used for either black history or American history lessons.

Shortly after Saladin was made vizier of Egypt, Nur al-Din died and left no one capable of ruling his empire. Saladin staked his claim and after many years of fighting with Nur al-Din's brothers he finally made peace. It was then he decided to launch his holy war against the Christians. As cities fell to Saladin's army, word was spread of his humane treatment of slave captives, the release of prisoners who could purchase their freedom or were too old or young to be useful. He spared the Christian King Guy and eventually allowed him to buy his freedom. When Saladin took Jerusalem, he had realized his dream.

Once news spread to Europe of the fall of Jerusalem, King Richard of England led his army in the Christian Crusade to take it back again. The brutality of the English spread and many cities surrendered to the English army. However, poor supplies and harsh weather prevented King Richard from taking Jerusalem. He turned back and never reached Jerusalem again. Saladin lived out the remainder of his days in peace choosing to enjoy life instead of waging war. After his death, the peace fell away and has not yet returned.

This biographical look at one of Islams great leaders is an interesting introduction into the history of the Middle East. Having been released in 2002, it appears timely in the aftermath of September 11^th. The look at all characters except Saladin appear to show both good and bad sides of their personality, however it appears that Saladin's good deeds were glorified and his acts of war were downplayed. The brutality of war cannot be overlooked and his motives were not necessarily any more honorable than the other conquerors. The representational artwork is complementary to the story and aids in following the timeline. A map of Saladin's empire is provided as well as a brief introduction to the history of the unrest. This may be useful in a multicultural study in accordance with other resources.