King of Shadows by Susan Cooper

Length: 186 pages, 19 Chapters

The story begins with a boy name Nat who is on his way to London to perform with an acting troup in a recreated version of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. He falls ill during his time there and travels 400 years into the past where he is still himself but is acting with the real Shakespeare in the original plays. The book is very kid friendly reading and is good about explaining what Nat is discovering in the Renaissance time period from his own first hand account and would be enjoyed by both boys and girls.

Beware, Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer

Length: 214 pages, 18 Chapters

This books parallels the ending of Mary, Bloody Mary. Elizabeth realizes from a young age that men are interested in her only to gain power and become King. She vows that she will never marry. King Henry XVIII dies leaving the throne to his only male heir which is Edward. Edward is only a child when he begins his rule and turns out to be a figurehead for the powerful men around him. He dies in his teen years leaving the throne to Mary, Elizabeth's eldest and only sister. Mary takes the throne and is determined to restore Catholicism to England and remove the Protestant movement that King Henry had established so he could marry Anne, Elizabeth's mother. Mary is nicknamed Bloody Mary because she insists that people who do not submit to the catholic faith should be burned at the stake as heretics. Elizabeth is under constant suspicion of treason and several times is questioned about her faith to the queen. The Queen goes so far as to lock her in the Tower of London. After Mary's death Elizabeth becomes queen and is determined to return England to a protestant country, she also never marries and reigns for the next 45 years.

Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer

Length: 227 pages, 21 chapters

I foung this book great for any age group including adults. The language may be difficult for your readers but it is true to the time period and full of realistic events and facts. I've just finished watching"The Other Boleyn Girl" and find the details quite fascinating as they relate to what was happening with Princess Mary as a result of Anne's affair with King Henry. Lady Anne makes Mary's life quite difficult and it's gets even worse as she becomes queen and treats Mary like a servant. Mary harbours negative feelings toward Queen Anne as she destroys her mother's marriage by bewitching King Henry and gives birth to a daughter named Elizabeth.

Midnight Magic by Avi

Length: 247 pages, 28 Chapters

This story takes place in the Kingdom of Pergamontio. It is about a boy name Fabrizio who is a magicians assistant. Magnus the Magician is under house arrest for previously practicing magic. Both characters are called to the castle by the king to help the princess be rid of a ghost that is haunting her. Their lives are in danger if they don't solve this mystery in time. Princess Teresina is set to marry the Count if the mystery can be solved. Magnus the magician doesn't believe in ghosts and is out to set the court straight on this. Magnus is quite old so he sends Fabrizio to do much of the sleuthing for him. Fabrizio comes across many suspicious characters and isn't sure who to trust. There is the creepy count, the princess, the queen and the strange kitchen serving boy that could all be connected to the ghost.

The story is quite easy to get into as the action begins happening at the end of the first chapter and continues throughout the novel. The language is easier that the two previous books I've reviewed thus far. There is much action and adventure and it is a fun book to figure out is responsible for the spirit in the castle. Much of the book is told as an observer of Fabrizio who is 12 years old. I would recommend this books for students in this age group or slightly older, I think both boys and girls would enjoy this novel.

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

Length: 212 pages, 12 chapters


This book is about a 13 year old girl set in Medieval times. Her family is of nobility and she has come of age in a time when her father feels that she should be married to someone of his choice. She dislikes many of her suitors and torments many of them until they give up and leave, in one instance she blackens out her teeth with soot and puts mouse bones in her hair and eats dinner infront of one of the men that is interested in marrying her. Eventually she finds that her father has promised her to a older man whom she finds digusting but lives nearby and will join lands with her father to increase both mens wealth. She spends much of the novel attempting to overthrow her father's decision on the marriage and growing up in the process.

The book progresses over the span of a year with each chapter reflecting one month and is told through daily journal entries. It is very funny, at times serious, and is entertaining and accurate to the time period. As Birdy grows up the novel becomes more serious. The writing has a little more difficult language than Bella at Midnight but well worth the read. Although this novel is about a girl I would recommend this novel to girls and boys of this age group who would enjoy how much of a tomboy Birdy is and the funny things she does to her potential husbands. Readers should have a good vocabulary as some of the language is written using medieval/renaissance language.

Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley

Bella at Midnight is a wonderful example of Medieval times with the proper amount of fairy tale thrown in but still remaining real to the time period. The story is very quick to draw the reader in and hard to put down. Each chapter is told through one of the characters points of view relating to what they're thinking while the events take place. The story is about a girl called Isabelle who is not wanted by her father- a knight of noble wealth, when her mother dies in childbirth. She is placed with a loving peasant family for her early life and doesn't know about her noble background until she grows up. Her father requests her return to his household when he remarries but a new step mother and family are not as pleasant as they seem.