The Stone Lions,
by Gwen Dandridge

 

In this children's novel for middle grade students, Ara, a young girl living in the harem of the Alhambra palace, discovers a political intrigue. The evil Wazir is magically breaking the symmetries in the walls of the palace, weakening the spells that protect it from capture by Christian forces. Ara can only stop him by finding examples of the seven frieze patterns in the walls. Children will love this whimsical adventure and teachers will love the magical excuse for geometry. This cross cultural piece will be particularly useful for teacher preparation. The Pattern website provides an online supplement.