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Mary, Queen of Scots
5 Reviews
(4)
YA
Young Royals series.
This sympathetic, sometimes flat novel focuses on the first half of Mary Stuart's tempestuous life. Mary's first-person narration presents the young royal as a lively girl devoted to her friends. With each passing year, she experiences more manipulation and betrayal but is too unfamiliar with the politics of the French, Scottish, and English families involved to understand the dangers she faces.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by
Phyllis Bray.
This book, first published in England in 1939, is beloved by connoisseurs of British children's fantasy. Penelope, a "fey" child, finds herself transported back to Elizabethan times and in the midst of a plot to rescue Mary Queen of Scots. The novel smoothed the way for such time-slip classics as The Children of Green Knowe and Tom's Midnight Garden.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
December, 1964
(4)
YA
European Queens series.
The life and death of the queen, as well as the politics of her time, are presented here in meticulous detail. The dense text can be overwhelming and occasionally dull, and despite the plethora of information provided, readers don't get a strong sense of Mary's personality. Photos, maps, and illustrations provide excellent supplements to the text. Timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.
Reviewer: Abby Harper Kingsbury
(4)
4-6
Royal Diaries series.
In this fictionalized diary of eleven-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots, the young queen writes of living abroad with the family of her betrothed, the French dauphin; of conflicts with her future in-laws; and of more mundane preteen concerns. An abundance of exposition, while somewhat intrusive, provides the necessary background information. Portraits, a family tree, and a brief historical note provide additional context.
Reviewer: Norah Piehl
(2)
YA
When the young Queen of France asks eleven-year-old Nicola to be her "fool," Nicola believes that her one duty to the Queen--always tell her the truth--will be easier than the rough life she has led as an orphaned street performer. But as the years pass, she must use all of her wits to avoid being caught in the political intrigue that ensnares Queen Mary. The authors have woven fiction and historical fact into a seamless tapestry.
Reviewer: Anne St. John
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2000
5 reviews
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