There's been other threads lately about children's literature so I thought I'd start a discussion on one of my favorite children's authors.
Sutcliff wrote children's (or young teen) books of historical fiction. Most of them are set in Roman Britain, or shortly thereafter. She also wrote a children's version of the Iliad called Black Ships Before Troy. Being a lover of classical history, I find these very enticing, and she also made a great effort to be historically accurate. Here in Canada, I had never heard of Sutcliff or her works until recently, but I've been told that in the UK she is much more widely read.
My favorite is The Lantern Bearers; which is about a young British born Roman soldier who stays behind when his legion leaves to aid in the war against the Visigoths, to defend Britain against the Saxon and Pict invasions. Currently, I'm reading Knight's Fee; which is set during the reign of one of William the Conqueror's sons.
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