Adrian dreams of the day he will be apprenticed to the bowyer, who is his father. At thirteen, he's small for his age and considered too weak. Many in the village think him useless because of his size and constant wheezing. Many in the village also call him a devil for too white skin and white hair.

When the Scottish threaten to invade Northern England, Adrian sees this as his chance to help his father and gain a heroic reputation in the village. His father still denies Adrian the apprenticeship. With little other choice, Adrian sneaks off, following the path of his one and only friend in the village to join the army and fight for England.

THE BADGER KNIGHT by Kathryn Erskine takes Adrian on a dangerous journey through the warring countryside of Northern England. Adrian's allergies and his albinism have marked him an outcast since birth, and when his father refuses to teach him how to become a bowyer, Adrian feels weak and useless. It isn't until he leaves the safety of his village that he begins to understand the truth of the world. While he was an outcast inside his village, he was protected. In the outside world, his differences make him noticeable and memorable. Adrian's character growth comes from his struggles to survive on his own without the aid of his father or friends. He begins to see himself differently. He can see his flaws and his strengths which had been hidden from him in a village.

Adrian's idealistic view of war and heroism drive him to do what he believes is right and noble. This is a wonderfully complex issues. What is a hero? How does a person become a hero? While THE BADGER KNIGHT is set in Northern England of 1346, these questions linger today and will spark the reader's imagination and give him or her room to think about what heroism means to him or her.

Kathryn Erskine also introduces us to Adrian's Grandmother, a traditional healer, and Bess, Adrian's cousin, who fill the roles of intelligent, female characters in a male-dominated world. It's through these two characters that Adrian begins to understand the injustices of the world and how he might change at least a few of them.

THE BADGER KNIGHT by Kathryn Erskine is fast-paced, historical adventure filled with memorable characters. The historical details are seamlessly integrated into the story, providing a richly vivid and interesting setting. Children ages 8-12 will love to follow Adrian from his tiny village into war.