Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature)
Will couldn’t wait to select his own destrier, or Great Horse, as would befit his future status as a knight but when he sees the smaller “liver-chestnut” colored stallion with the white star between his eyes, he is mesmerized. Everyone seems to notice there is something special about this horse, Hosanna. Will takes Hosanna when he joins his brother and father on the Third Crusade in 1190. They accompany King Richard on the harsh voyage to Sicily and eventually to Acre and Jerusalem. Fans of historical fiction will be drawn into this marvelous re-creation of the 12th and 13th century world. Grant does not gloss over the harsh aspects of the crusades as she describes the battles and the slaughter of prisoners. Horse lovers won’t be able to put this down as Hosanna is abused by Will’s brother, Gavin; nursed back to health by a monk, and taken into battle where he is captured by the orphan Kamil whom Saladin has taken under his care. Readers will gain insight into the antagonisms that exist between Christians and Muslims in the Middle East today. The sibling rivalry between Will and Gavin runs deep, and even involves their relationships with Eleanor de Barre who recognizes that her inheritance makes her a prime candidate for marriage. This is book one of “The De Granville Trilogy” and readers will eagerly await the second book of this grand sweeping saga. 2005, Walker and Company, $16.95. Ages 10 to 14.

Janet Crane Barley (Children's Literature)
What a story of adventure, love, loyalty, heroism, treachery, and betrayal in war and in peace! The year is 1185 and the place is Hartslove Castle in northern England, where brothers Gavin and William DeGranville and their cousin Eleanor are growing up. William is allowed to choose a “Great Horse” he can ride in tournaments to practice the skills of war. Instead of a huge destrier, he chooses the foal of his beloved childhood horse. This blood red horse he names Hosanna becomes a significant character who accompanies the boys on the Crusades to the Holy Land. When William loses Hosanna to an enemy soldier, he is devastated. Gavin suffers an even greater loss and Eleanor, who patiently awaits their return, also endures a siege of sorts. The story follows Hosanna’s experiences with his new owner, Kamil, and from Kamil’s viewpoint shows the other side of the futile holy war. A map shows where the action takes place. This is Book One of the “DeGranville” trilogy. The book is a pleasure to read on its own, yet it leaves many threads that the reader will be interested in following. 2005 (orig. 2004), Walker Publishing Company, $16.95. Ages 10 up.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 5))
A British import reminds us that there are historical potboilers for the young even as there are for their parents in this overblown and under-plotted first of a trilogy. From 1185 to 1193, readers follow hot-blooded and hard-hearted Gavin, his younger brother William, bright and compassionate, and their father's ward Eleanor. Thomas de Granville, the boys' father, goes on Crusade with King Richard Lionheart; his sons go with him and Eleanor stays behind to learn to read and fend off a slimy suitor. The most vivid character is Hosanna, the red horse of the title, a fierce, intelligent, graceful animal who carries William to Jerusalem and back during the Crusaders' battles with the leader Saladin (a historical trope handled far more compellingly by Catherine Jinks in Pagan's Crusade, 2003). The human characters have little depth or energy-21st-century cardboard cutouts set in a medieval frame. On the other hand, it is a page-turner, as Hosanna overcomes mistreatment, attack and injury to inspire both William and Saladin's assistant Kamil, into whose hands the horse briefly falls. 2005, Walker, 288p, $16.95. Category: Historical fiction. Ages 10 up. © 2005 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Jennifer L. Hartshorn (Library Media Connection, October 2005)
Gavin, Ellie, and William have all grown up together on the estate of Hartslove Castle. As the eldest son, Gavin will inherit all of the de Granville land as well as become betrothed to Ellie. When King Richard the Lionheart calls for a crusade to win back Jerusalem from the hand of Saladin and the Saracens, both William and Gavin are called to arms. Along with them on this journey is William's horse, Hosannah, the Red Horse of the title. Hosannah is a 21st century Black Beauty whose travels take him from one owner to another and bring a divine spark of healing into all their lives. This is a gripping coming of age story that is fast paced and exhilarating, you are there with Ellie, Will, Gavin and especially the horse, Hosannah. Believably drawn, the characters question themselves and God yet move forward with strength and courage. The additional characters are well drawn, showing us both sides of the Crusade story. Dense in historical detail, yet fast paced, the story is well researched and soundly structured. This Crusade has something for every reader: adventure, romance, history, love, and loss. This title will fit in well with curriculum dealing with the time period of the Crusades. Highly Recommended. 2005, Walker and Company, 288pp., $16.95 hc. Ages 11 to 14.

Elizabeth Bush (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May 2005 (Vol. 58, No. 9))
This first entry in the Crusader-era de Granville Trilogy introduces reckless, bullying older brother, Gavin; thoughtful yet courageous younger brother, William; and their father's ward and the brothers' mutual love interest, Ellie. At the outset of the novel, William has been given leave to choose a battle horse from his father's stable and he chooses Hosanna for his grace, speed, and responsiveness rather than brawn. Gavin soon rides Hosanna past his endurance, and the broken beast is sent to the monastery as a work horse for the monks. A possible miracle restores Hosanna to full stamina just in time to accompany the brothers and their father on a Crusade to the Holy Land, where the elder de Granville loses his life, Gavin loses his sword arm, and (probably most distressing for readers) William loses his horse to Kamil ad-Din, teenage aide to Saladin. While Kamil tries to avenge his father's death, plots against Saladin, and receives forgiveness from Saladin, and while Gavin learns to fight left-handed, and while William tries not to sulk too much over Hosanna's capture, Ellie back home learns to read, becomes embroiled in a scandal with one of the monks, and fights off the nefarious attentions of the estate's steward. Knights die, infidels die, horses die; Hosanna goes into battle in service to King Richard and nearly dies, but in a Cinemascope-worthy moment, enemies Kamil and William join forces to nurse the horse back to health. Sure, it all plays like a sprawling Hollywood epic, but effectively so--the whirlwind pacing and involving adventure will keep readers turning pages and leave them happily oblivious of (or cheerfully aware of) the hokeyness. Scrapping brothers, a languishing maiden, and a Noble Steed--what more could readers ask for, except perhaps a Trusty Dog? (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2005, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2005, Walker, 288p, $16.95. Grades 5-8.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2005)
King Richard's twelfth-century holy crusade draws young de Granville brothers Will and Gavin and their cousin Ellie into the horrors of battle and exposes them to its repercussions, which, with the help of Will's blood-red stallion, they are able to overcome. This fast-paced story rides smoothly, except when twenty-first century ideas sneak into dialogue and motivations. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2005, Walker, 280pp, 16.95. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.

Nancy K. Wallace (VOYA, June 2005 (Vol. 28, No. 2))
Twelve-year-old William de Granville longs to become a knight and own a wonderful warhorse like his older brother Gavin's. When Will begins his training, he chooses Hosanna, the most beautiful horse in his father's stable. The horse and the boy make the perfect team until Gavin injures Hosanna during a hunt. Will and his cousin, Ellie, fight to keep Hosanna alive. When Hosanna does not regain his strength, Will reluctantly retires him to a nearby monastery. Under the monks' prayerful care, the horse makes a miraculous recovery and is returned to Will. When Gavin, Will, and their father join Richard the Lionhearted on the Third Crusade, Hosanna accompanies them. Fearless and unbeatable, the horse possesses an uncanny sense of honor and fair play. The crusade is not the marvelous adventure that Will and Gavin anticipated: Food is short, lethal fevers abound, friends are killed, their father dies, Gavin loses an arm, and Will's beloved horse is stolen by a Saracen. Yet even in the enemy camp, Hosanna influences his Muslim owner in subtle ways that result in his being returned to Will. This superbly written historical novel provides an excellent springboard for middle or high school classroom discussion about cultural and religious differences and the realities of war. Readers will discover along with Will that honor and disgrace marked both sides of this religious conflict where no clear-cut right existed. The message is timely, eloquently put, and poignant. Do not miss this one. The second book in The de Granville Trilogy, Green Jasper, is planned for 2006. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P M J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2004, Walker, 288p., $16.95. Ages 11 to 18.