Crusade

by Elizabeth Laird

Elizabeth Laird has lived and worked in Lebanon, and her earlier novels have been instrumental in bringing to young readers an understanding of the complexities of the current wars in this area. She now turns to the ancient roots of these disputes and in this impeccably researched novel shows that the prejudice, distrust and misinformation, which continue to fuel modern wars, stretch back more than a thousand years.

Adam and Salim, both boys from impoverished backgrounds, one in England, the other in Palestine, find themselves part of opposing armies in the Europe-wide Christian crusade against Sultan Saladin's Islamic empire.

Each boy discovers that friendship, compassion and loyalty can transcend religious difference, and that there is more that unites than divides them.

Publisher: Macmillan Children's books

Elizabeth Laird

Elizabeth Laird is the award-winning author of many highly acclaimed novels. She was born in Wellington, New Zealand, but is of Scottish descent and was educated at Croydon High School. She spent a year teaching in Malaysia, before studying languages at Bristol and Edinburgh universities. Elizabeth has spent much of her life living and working abroad, including long spells in Lebanon, Ethiopia and India. She now lives in Richmond and Edinburgh with her husband.

Elizabeth has written over 30 books for children on a broad range of subjects, from historical adventures to real life stories, picture books to retelling of folk tales. She has won many awards, including the Children's Book Award for Kiss the Dust, the Smarties Young Judges Award, and the Lancashire Book Award. Elizabeth has been shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal five times as well as every other major children’s book award.

http://www.elizabethlaird.co.uk/

Photo: Macmillan