(4) 4-6 Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series. Illustrated by Kelly Murphy. Though their detective agency has been forbidden from pursuing any more cases, nineteenth-century tweens Ada Byron (Lovelace) and Mary Godwin (Shelley) are enlisted to help Princess Alexandrina Victoria (future Queen Victoria) locate her special book of doll sketches, which has gone missing. The fourth installment once again reimagines history with humor, wit, and good-natured implausibility. Front- and back matter clarify the imagined events and relationships.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(2) YA A vivid portrait of the feisty British monarch who ruled for over sixty years. Reef dexterously shows not only Victoria's development as a person but also her evolution as a ruler within the social and political upheavals of her time, elegantly layering in details to provide a broader view of the era. Primary source material and spectacular reproductions in full color appear throughout. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Monica Edinger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. Modesty decreed that Queen Victoria mustn't be seen in her bathing costume. It's Prince Albert to the rescue with a queen-sized bathing machine. This entertaining story nicely encapsulates a curious bit of social history, with a jaunty tall-tale tone governing a rhymed text. The stifling frills of Victorian dress; the loving couple's delight in each other--Carpenter renders each in comical detail. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2014

(3) 4-6 Rabid mechanical dogs and action-packed duels permeate this engaging novel set in a steampunk Victorian London. Charlotte and her sword-fighting friends repel the metal beasts, but, predictably, her father, surgeon to the Queen, ignores his daughter's allegations. Eventually Charlotte's spirited character wins her father over as she battles gender roles and a devilish plot to kill the Queen.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Kelly Murphy. The orphaned narrator of this companion to Secrets at Sea, raised in the mouse domain of Queen Victoria's Buckingham Palace, doesn't even know his own name; his question-mark-shaped tail reflects the many questions he has about himself. Children will enjoy the twists and turns of this rags-to-riches adventure story as well as its easy, unlabored style.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2013

(3) YA Understanding World History series. In addition to an introduction to the monarch for whom the titular era is named, this thorough account offers a detailed discussion of the social, political, and economic climate in Great Britain during the second half of the 1800s. Sidebars, maps, and archival illustrations extend the information and help break up the dense text, which is enriched with primary source quotes. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(1) YA In early-Victorian London, street urchin Dodger rescues a young woman who's being beaten up; a complicated plot is set in motion with a cast ranging from Dickens to Queen Victoria. Dodger's original take and deft way with language make him a wonderful guide through a story of espionage, romance, action, and heroism. It's a glittering conjuring act, but there's real heart here, too.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2012

(4) YA Fascinating research about the press, social classes, and royal politics in the years before Victoria took the throne undergirds this tale about the isolated princess and a fictional maid, Liza, who helps her achieve independence. There's some awkwardness to the otherwise engaging narrative; for example, Victoria's passivity makes her annoyingly self-centered and Liza's accomplishments become melodramatically exaggerated. An author's note is appended. Reading list.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) YA European Queens series. Whether they came to the throne through their own machinations or because they were next in line, these five women made history-altering contributions--both good and bad--to their respective countries. While the books don't neglect to discuss the intrigues and assignations of these monarchs, the laudatory tone downplays each ruler's flaws. Black-and-white and crisp color reproductions appear throughout. Timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these European Queens titles: Marie Antoinette and the Decline of the French Monarchy, Catherine de'Medici and the Protestant Reformation, Catherine the Great and the Enlightenment in Russia, Queen Isabella and the Unification of Spain, and Queen Victoria and the British Empire.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) YA In World History series. In balanced, readable prose, the books in this series recount their subjects' actions and motivations, setting them within appropriate cultural contexts: Queen Victoria's role in establishing the British Empire; Joan's martyrdom; Cromwell's assumption of power to rule England; and the ruthlessness of the Inquisition. Black-and-white illustrations and sidebars of primary material extend the documented text. Bib., ind. [Review covers these In World History titles: The British Empire and Queen Victoria in World History, Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years' War in World History, Oliver Cromwell and the English Civil War in World History, and The Spanish Inquisition in World History.]

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian