For ages 9-12. In fourteenth-century England, Stephen de Beauville dreams of becoming a knight-not a promising ambition for an artistic boy. Having fled a monastery, he becomes squire to a singularly wise knight, attains knighthood himself, and eventually takes on his own squire. When the youth dies, 26-year-old Stephen must re-examine his ambitions. By remembering the maxims of his mentor (Do not be afraid to do what you want to do; Be brave enough to be different), Stephen discovers where his ultimate happiness lies. Several of Barbara Leonie Picard's many books have been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, Britain's oldest children's book award.