Lionheart's Scribe — Karleen Bradford

“Bradford makes history come alive.” Canadian Children's Literature knew that Karleen Bradford had a winner in There Will Be Wolves, the first, award-winning instalment in her Crusades trilogy. The bestselling book, which has sold more than 40,000 copies, was followed by another critically acclaimed bestseller, Shadows on a Sword. Both of these titles set the stage for the eagerly anticipated release of Lionheart's Scribe, the third -- and the buzz is that it's the best -- title in the medieval series.

Lionheart's Scribe is the story of Matthew, a 15-year-old scribe, orphaned and destined for a hardscrabble life of twelfth-century servitude, whose quick wits thrust him into the position of scribe to King Richard the Lionheart of England. It's the time of the Crusades, as France and England prepare to help King Guy of Jerusalem in winning back the Holy Land from the Muslim Salah-ud-Din. Matthew finds himself drawn into a bloody and divisive war, saving a queen from imprisonment and a young Muslim girl from drowning at sea.

Matthew's journal becomes the masterful framework for this powerful, action-packed adventure, a first-person account that instantly grabs its readers for a historical ride they're not likely to forget. Like its predecessors, Lionheart's Scribe is a satisfying, illuminating story that will be a must-read for Karleen Bradford's many fans.