;Dolf: Born in
Amstelveen, his full name is Rudolf Hefting, and at the age of 15 becomes the active leader of the crusade. ;Leonardo: Born in Pisa, his full name is Leonardo Fibonacci. He is a very intelligent young man and one of the few historical characters in the book. The historical Fibonacci is often considered one of the greatest mathematicians in the Middle Ages. ;Marie: She is eleven years old, as stated by Leonardo. She is a parentless beggar with a very sensitive nature, and, during the crusade, both Dolf and Leonardo grow very fond of her. ;Frank: The twelve-year-old son of a tanner from Cologne. ;Peter: A strong child around the age of twelve, who, in the Crusade, became responsible for fisheries. After the tragedy in Genoa, his personality became colder. ;Hans: His knowledge of the trees seems unlimited, as his father was a woodcutter. ;Bertho: A tall and strong boy who felt a strong sense of guilt about his past. ;Everard: One of the main hunters, along with Carolus and Bertho. In his life he has seen nothing but forests and hunting parties. He dies bravely in a fight between the farmers of Lombardy. ;Dom Thaddeus: A priest from a neighboring village in the city where Dolf was lost who joined the Crusade. ;Dom Anselmus and Dom Augustus: Impostors pretending to be monks, and who, under the orders of Boglio, a contact of Anselmus, attempt to sell the children to a slave's market, but fail to do so. ;Nicolas: A young shepherd who, deceived by the fake monks, believed to God's chosen one to lead the Children's Crusade. ;Carolus: Young nobleman who believes he will be crowned king on his arrival in Jerusalem, but unexpectedly dies, before the arrival in Genoa, from appendicitis - a disease which at that time was fatal. His death was a strong blow on Dolf, who cared for him very much. ;Fredo: A robust boy and son of an impoverished knight, he left the crusade before they crossed the alps along with another 800 followers. ;Hilda: Hilda von Marburg, daughter of a count, grew up in the palace of her uncle (the archbishop of Cologne), and the supposed "future queen of Jerusalem". During the Crusade, she became in charge of nursing. ;Frieda: The daughter of a servant, with much knowledge on berries, herbs and root vegetables. ;Gardulf: A baker. With his help, the help of two assistants Frank and Dolf, they made 200 fringes of bread in one night and prevented the children from starving. ;Wilhelm: A chubby boy always willing to help Dolf. ==Awards and nominations==