Isabel - Jewel of Castilla by Carolyn Meyer

Length: 204, Journal Entries written over 3 years

I have taken this book review from: www.umanitoba.ca/cm/vol7/no1/isabel.html and was written by Ruth Scales McMahon .

Isabel: Jewel of Castilla traces the life of Isabel of Castilla from Ash Wednesday, February, 1466, to her wedding day in October, 1469. Isabel was a devout Catholic. At the request of her confessor, she uses the journal to record and reflect on her commission of the Deadly Sins. The purpose of the journal quickly broadens and becomes a record of Isabel's life. These are turbulent times. Isabel's brothers Enrique and Alfonso are at war over the lands that comprise modern day Spain and Portugal. Isabel is used as a pawn. Her brother Enrique has the power to marry her off to whomever he pleases. He also controls her cash flow, which he promises and then does not follow through. After the death of Alfonso, Enrique double-crosses Isabel, and she sides with Archbishop Carrillo who masterminds her marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon. It is important to know that Isabel is an ardent Catholic for she and her husband reigned over the Spanish Inquisition. This point, which is made early in the book as Isabel records her Deadly Sins, may slow down some readers' entry into this book. However, once the opening pages are read, the book takes off, and it is hard to put down. Isabel is a strong and resourceful woman, as are many of the women in her court. The volume is attractively bound with a painting of Isabel on the front cover and gold edging on the pages. In addition to the fictionalized journal entries, the book includes: an epilogue, historical notes, a family tree, reproductions of historical artwork, a note about the author, something about the Spanish language, and a glossary of characters. The inclusion of a "further reading" list with these appendices would have enhanced the work's value, however. Not only is this an interesting look at a fascinating time in history, but it is an exciting, captivating read, independent of the subject matter.

Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach

Length: 243 pages, 31 Chapters

This review is taken from the website: http://www.bookmoot.com/2005/09/shakespeares-secret.html

Hero and her older sister Beatrice were named for characters in Shakespeare's play Much Ado about Nothing. Arriving in a new town, Hero is facing a school year as a new kid with jokes and questions about her name. Unlike Beatrice, Hero is not socially adept and does not make friends easily. She does become acquainted with their older next-door neighbor, Mrs. Roth who tells her about the Murphy Diamond, a valuable gem that might be hidden in Hero's house. Surprisingly she is also befriended by a popular 8th grader, Danny who is the son of the city's police chief and also fascinated by the diamond's where-abouts.Hero discovers a mysterious connection between the diamond, Anne Boleyn and Shakespeare's plays which fires her imagination.This plot is cleverly drawn with historical details and intrigue. Hero and Danny are searching for more than a diamond and the reader is hoping they find their heart's desire.I truly enjoyed this novel. The mystery is very satisfying. One can hope it would also excite a reader's interest in Shakespeare.

The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood

Length: 216 Pages, 27 Chapters

This review is taken from the website:
http://www.lookingglassreview.com/html/
the_shakespeare_stealer.html

Widge has had a tough life so far. After years in an orphanage he is apprenticed to a rector who needs someone to help him work on the shorthand that he's developed. Widge learns the shorthand and becomes proficient in it. In fact he becomes so good at using the shorthand that he is bought from the rector for price of ten pounds and is taken away by a tall, dark, frightening bearded man who calls himself Falconer. After a long journey Widge gets to meet his new master, a Mr. Bass. From this man Widge learns that he has been bought to provide a very important service. Mr. Bass wants Widge to go to see William Shakespeare's new play in London. More importantly he wants Widge to write down the entire play as it is being performed without any of the Chamberlain's Men, as Shakespeare's group is called, knowing what he is doing. In short Mr. Bass wants Widge to steal Shakespeare's play. The task should be an easy one but then things start to get complicated. First Widge gets so involved in the wonderful play that he ends up leaving out many of the speeches made by the actors. He goes back to listen to the play again and this time he gets caught and has to run away as fast as he can. Unfortunately Widge has his pockets picked and his precious notebook with his notations in it is lost. Now what is he going to do? Widge knows that Falconer will be most displeased with him unless he recopies the play or steals the actual playbook. As luck would have it Widge meets some of the theatre folk and before he quite knows what is happening he is taken in by them and given a job. Perhaps now he can steal the playbook after all. The problem is that Widge is finding it harder and harder to accept the idea of betraying the theatre people. They are so kind to him, and they make him feel as if he is one of them, that he has real friends for the first time in his life. This superbly written story is gripping, exciting and it gives one a remarkably lifelike picture of what Elizabethan England was like in general and what theatre life was like in particular. Widge's dilemma of being caught between the demands of his master and the affection that he has for his new "family" is poignant and easily understandable. We cannot help hoping that Widge will be released from his dangerous and illegal task so that he can at last have a safe and happy life. This is the first book in a series of stories about Widge and his life in the theatre.

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

Length: 310 Pages, 58 Chapters

Crispin: The Cross of Lead is set in 14th century England --It is a descriptive account from a young boy's point of view what the feudal system of the middle ages was like to actually live in. the story is historically accurate and set when Catholicism was the strong belief of most people in Europe.
I've taken this except about the book from the following website as I feel it accurately records what the book is about better then I can describe:

http://www.whippersnapperbooks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Crispin&Category_Code=SN&Product_Count=8

"The story is told in the first person by a young boy. As it opens, he and the village priest are burying his mother. There is some mystery about her: she lived in poverty but somehow apart from the other villagers. She was called Asta, but never told her son his name: he was known only as "Asta's son." With her death, the fragile protection she provided for him begins to crumble and he is suddenly attacked by the steward of the land, who razes (sets fire to) Asta's house, accuses her son of thievery and labels him a Wolf's head (someone who can be killed on sight like an animal). The village priest, Father Quinel, hides the boy and is planning to reveal something to him when he is murdered. Before his death, he manages to tell the boy that his mother could read and write and that she had christened him Crispin; he gives Crispin her lead cross, which bears an inscription. This is all that Crispin has, and all he knows, when he flees his village.
Crispin is in a deadly race with his persuers. Can he survive on his own? Can he trust anyone? Can he discover why he is being hunted before someone finds him and kills him for the Wolf's head bounty? We won't reveal more, but this book will keep both kids and adults up late reading -- maybe with a flashlight."

Graphic Classics-The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo, Retold by Michael Ford

Length: 48 Pages, Graphic Novel

This graphic novel takes Victor Hugo's favorite story and retells it using pictures and in a graphic format. Unlike the other graphic novels each picture has writing underneath it to fully explain each graphic. The story has several main characters but centers around the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda and the men who fall in love with her. It is set in the Renaissance time period. Esmeralda is wrongfully convicted of a murder she didn't commit. She is rescued by the Hunchback who takes her to Notre Dame Cathedral. Unlike the Disney version this one is true to the original novel and doesn't have a happy ending. The story is grim but still very interesting. The last several pages of the book are filled with information about the author and about the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.

Encounter by Jane Yolen

Length: 30 Pages, Picture Book

This book is about the Taino people who came into contact with Christopher Columbus when he landed on their shores. It's told from a young boy's point of view and how he tries to warn the people around him that bad things will happen to them as a result of their contact with the Europeans. It is beautifully illustrated and explains how the age of exploration impacted the natives.

Starry Messenger by Peter Sis

Length: 33 Pages, Picture Book

This book describes Galileo Galilei's interest in the stars and his theory's from a child to an adult. The book describes what Italy was like in illustrations during the time period. There are some large pictures that take some time to locate where Galileo is in the picture. It is a good children's book that describes Galileo's life and the trouble he faced against the Church.