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.
Karleen Bradford is the acclaimed author of 21 children’s and young adult books, including five books about the Crusades. Angeline was nominated for the Manitoba Young Reader’s Choice Award; Lionheart’s Scribe was nominated for a Silver Birch Award, among others; and There Will Be Wolves was the winner of the CLA Young Adult Book Award. Karleen Bradford lives in Owen Sound, Ontario.