“Song of the Sparrow” by Lisa Anne Sandell takes place in A.D. 490.  Sixteen-year-old Elaine of Ascalot, the daughter of one of King Arthur’s men, lives on a Briton base camp.  Surrounded by a community of men, Elaine’s only friend is Morgan, Arthur’s older sister, and the only other girl in the camp.

Elaine has but one secret-she cannot tell Morgan she is in love with Lancelot, Arthur’s second-in-command.  Lancelot is fully aware of Elaine’s feelings towards him, but he cannot look at her as anything more than a child.  Elaine is completely heartbroken, and despite her advances, she is never given any encouragement by Lancelot.

On one fateful day, however, a beautiful girl named Gwynivere arrives at the camp, and  Elaine is afflicted by jealousy and rivalry.  When their leader Aurelius is poisoned by a Saxon spy, Arthur is left in charge of the army.

“Song of the Sparrow” is written in verse.   Although the book is set in the past, it reveals the many emotions teen girls in 2012 still feel, such as heartbreak, love and jealousy.

“Song of the Sparrow” is recommended for students in junior high and above and for readers who enjoy historical fiction.