1212: Year of the Journey

Gregory Bryan is a member of the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

Against the backdrop of bloody Christian Crusades against heresy, a
French boy named Йtienne receives a heavenly call to lead a
children’s crusade—a crusade of “New Innocents” in honour of the
children slaughtered by Herod. After Йtienne and his idea are rejected
by the king, Йtienne meets Abel, an educated country boy. He asks Abel
to accompany him, and to act as a mouthpiece and advisor. Abel, however,
is hiding a very important secret. Йtienne and Abel are soon joined by
other young crusaders, including an attractive young woman named
Blanche. Like Abel, Blanche is keeping her own secrets.

The crusaders initially set out on a march to the Holy Land to free it
from the “Muslim Infidels.” But as the journey unfolds, new
realizations dawn and the crusaders are forced to challenge their own
thinking.

In this exploration of an interesting period of history, McDonnell does
a good job in demonstrating how long some of our modern-world tensions
have been simmering. As such, this book is an important read for
middle-schoolers who want to know more about the events that set the
stage for today’s Middle Eastern conflicts. Recommended.