Girl in a Cage by Jane Yolen & Robert J. Harris

"If my father's kingdom is a cage, then my cage will be a kingdom," I declare. "It is not I who am locked in, but you who are locked out."

The first book I decided to crack open for Reread November was Girl in a Cage. I can't remember exactly how old I was when I bought this book at a school book fair, but I believe I was in late elementary school (proved true by the fact that the few "bad" words in the book, such as bastard and damn, have been scratched out by my preadolescent self).

I was quite a sucker for historical fiction in my late elementary and middle school years, particularly when it came to European history, so this was right up my alley then. Now, as you can probably tell, I've expanded my reading a bit, though I still stick mostly to YA fiction, but I still carry that fondness for stories that can be woven around truth, giving the reader a new perspective on events that once took place. There's something truly fascinating about being able to give a story that extra substance through the sharing of true events.

In Girl in a Cage, we are introduced to Marjorie, daughter to Robert the Bruce and eleven year-old princess of Scotland. When Majorie first learned that she was to become a princess, she could think only of the splendor of living in a castle and being arrayed in finery. Now she sits in a cage in the middle of an English town, exposed to the elements and the jeers of the townspeople, visited almost daily by King Edward Longshanks, whose sole purpose in life seems to be tormenting her. A few months ago, she would have never seen this coming.

England, who has long been in control of Scotland, wages battle against Robert the Bruce and his followers in Scotland. Marjorie is a hostage in this war, as are many of the female members of her family, including the new queen of Scotland, Marjorie's stepmother.

In her captivity, Marjorie must leave childhood behind and seek the strength and bravery that her father has taught her to possess. She must draw on her belief in who she is and the love of her country to preserve her, even as the English king seeks to test her loyalty to the father she so dearly loves. Marjorie clings to her hope of rescue, her hope of seeing her father and her beloved country once more. But the will of Longshanks has taken the life of more than one person she holds dear, will it claim hers as well?

I really enjoyed getting the chance to revisit a book I so enjoyed in my childhood and was glad to see I hadn't been deceived in its virtue. It's quite a good book and it isn't just sentimentality that leads me to that conclusion. Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris do a lovely job at filling the story with convincing details, touching moments, and creating a princess worthy of the title that inspires the reader through every page, even in her faults.

This book has a lot to teach young teens and children about bravery and the act of loyalty without being preachy or uninteresting. It's an enthralling story with a good deal of merit. I would especially suggest it for those children just entering the YA world and need something of substance, but whose contents aren't overly mature for their understanding. Yet I would still venture to suggest it to older teens and adults, because there's always plenty for us to learn, particularly when it comes to courage and loyalty.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ 

"Oh, feeling has nothing to do with it, Marjorie. It is not a feeling hot or cold, dry or wet. Brave is how you behave."
"Then I did not behave bravely, Father," I admitted. "it was Elizabeth who--"
He stopped me with a finger on his lips. "Elizabeth told how brave you were," he said.
I yawned. "I just did what I was told."
"Sometimes that is all that courage is," he said. "Just doing what you know you have to do."

Crusade in Jeans by Thea Beckman

"No," cried Rudolf. "It can't be true! It is a nightmare. Soon I will wake up. A children's crusade! It is just too ridiculous. It is unthinkable. Crusades are for men; for knights on horseback, in coats of armor. Not for children!" 

Crusade in Jeans is a fictional children's book originally written in Dutch by its author, Thea Beckman. After having seen the movie adaptation a few years ago, I found that it was a book and had been translated to English. Of course, I had to get my hands on it.

In her book, Beckman tells the story of a fifteen-year-old boy named Rudolf (Dolf) who convinces two scientist friends of his father to send him back in time with a time travel machine they have created. Dolf lands near the city of Spiers in the kingdom of Germany.

When his return to his own century goes terribly wrong, Dolf is stranded in the thirteenth century and ends up stumbling upon a children's crusade. Eight thousand children from Germany and its neighboring lands are on a march to conquer the Holy Land after a shepherd boy named Nicolas claims he has been told by God that he will part the sea for them and the Seracens will flee before their innocence.

As he watches the procession move by, though, he sees that the children are in terrible shape. They are malnourished and sick, they are literally dropping dead at the back of the procession or falling behind. Some were being picked off by wild animals, others by slavers and kidnappers. Dolf and his new friend, Leonardo, decide they must act and both join the crusade, quickly calling for a reform in the way things are done. They take responsibility for the welfare of the children and quickly rise in the ranks of the assembled.

Clearly these children believe the call to which Nicolas has urged them, but Dolf doubts he will be able to part the sea and suspects the two monks who are also helping to lead the procession are frauds. There  is something that isn't right about this entire ordeal, both Dolf and Leonardo agree, and they are keeping their eyes peeled in order to discover what is actually going on here.

In the meantime, though, they have other worries to attend to. The journey is long and the path is fraught with perils. Wild animals such as wolves and bears lurk in the darkness about them and not all kidnappers are dissuaded by the sheer number of the pilgrims. Then there is food and shelter to worry about. The question is: can they even make it to the sea at all?

This book was so much better than I could have anticipated it. As much as I enjoyed the movie, much like Eragon, I have to say that is a mockery in comparison to the book. I don't think I would be able to watch it again without being sorely disappointed in how far it deviates from the true story. Not to mention, Dolf is so much better in the text. In the movie, he was irritating and not nearly as smart as he is meant to be.

Honestly, the only problem I have with Crusade in Jeans is its opening. I have a very hard time believing any scientist would honestly be so irresponsible and stupid enough to send a fifteen-year-old back in time in their PROTOTYPE material-transmitter. Yes, they've had success in the past, but that is just ridiculous. Also there was the whole bit where Dolf seemed to keep "finding" things in his pockets that later became useful. It only happened about three times, but I still found myself irritated. He would have known from the beginning that he had those things in his pockets. He wouldn't have forgotten about them for a period of weeks when he was wearing the same pair of jeans the entire time.

Beyond that, though, it was excellently crafted and incredibly believable. Beckman had a firm grasp on the trials and issues that would have come up during such a trek and I found myself on the edge of my seat through the entire thing, eager to find out what would happen next. I would definitely suggest this book for a good read.

Though it is technically children's fiction, I would like to add that there are some dark themes in here. I would say it is good for 10+ would be a better age range. There is a good deal of death that might be scary for a small child and some religious themes that they may be too young to grapple with (Medieval Christianity vs. Modern Atheism).

It is historical fiction as well, however, and these are themes that ought to be considered at an older age. Beyond that, I was surprised at how many people I know had no knowledge of the children's crusades and that they were actually a historical event in the thirteenth century. It is a part of history that we ought not forget, as with most of our world's history, for fear of reoccurrence. I thought it was a good choice for Beckman to choose a historical event that ought to have more light shed upon it and use it as the center of her storyline.

All in all, I adored this book and am glad to have it upon my shelf. I bought it on Amazon after not being able to find it anywhere else and I treasure it fondly.

Rating: ~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~

"Now you ask me if I believe in miracles. My friend, I am experiencing nothing else."