1212: Year of the Journey

Ages 12 to 14 years. In a world where thousands are dying over matters of religion, where do you go? What do you believe? Who do you put your own faith in? These questions, so relevant to growing up in 2006, are also questions faced by young people hundreds of years ago as they saw their cities and towns destroyed by the Christian Crusades. Based on a true story of a peaceful crusade in 1212 led by children of different faiths, this book traces the lives of three characters as they try to find answers to these persistent questions. Award-winning author Kathleen McDonnell vividly draws a world both dramatically different and remarkable similar to our own. An ideal pick for curriculum links to social studies, history, philosophy and religion.