The Battle for Duncragglin
Grade 4-7–Twelve-year-old Alex McPherson, who has been living with his uncle ever since the mysterious disappearance of his parents several years earlier, is set to spend the summer with his aunt in Scotland. When she gets sick, he is sent to live with the McRae family on their farm beneath the ruins of the castle Duncragglin. Mrs. McRae is missing as well and Alex soon gets the sense that the castle ruins have something to do with all of the strange disappearances. On a middle-of-the-night exploration of the caves underneath the ruins, he and his new friends are transported back in time to the 11th century, where William Wallace and his followers are fighting for their freedom against the English. Is this where all of the people have been going? And will Alex find his parents there? This book fills a hole in the historical fiction genre by showcasing Scotland in the Middle Ages. It will appeal to reluctant boy readers with its many battle scenes, descriptions of torture devices, and darkly humorous lines. Fans of the movieBraveheartwill adore this book. There are a few moments where the action bogs down with too much description, but this is still an appealing, well-researched adventure.–Kathleen Meulen, Sakai Intermediate School, Bainbridge Island, WACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.