The Forest Queen

The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell, 2018 Clarion Books

     The daughter of the House of Loughsley has always tried to do the right thing. Her older brother John is the heir: he takes advantage of his father's aging mind and his sister's upbringing to manipulate, steal, and use the people under his care. Silvie of Loughsley and her best friend Bird, Robert Falconer, escape John's bullying and increasing torture for the forest.
     John uses his sister as a pawn and when he tries to sell her off in a humiliating replay of her court debut Silvie and Bird make their temporary forest camp a permanent home. Along the way, they meet Little Jane: a girl who has been expelled from her home after being found pregnant. Jane cannot imagine a future of shame at this child forced upon her and she tries to kill herself - only to be stopped by Silvie and Bird.
     The trio becomes the basis of a revolution fighting against John of Loughsley and his bullies as they suck the life from Sylvie's home and people. Sylvie knows if she returns to John's care and submits to his demands his abuse the people dependent on the lords of Loughsley will not change. She questions herself, but with Bird's encouragement takes a stand against her brother's established authority. As John and his cohort try to stop her, Sylvie and her growing band in the forest protect the common people.
     Cornwell's Robin Hood retelling swaps the key characters' gender to tell the story of Loughsley in a new way. Jane is not the only character who faces suicide and even Sylvie faces the fear of socially inappropriate and unwanted advances. The Forest Queen incorporates the harsh realities of medieval life and power dynamics in a quick read for mature readers.

Beware Princess Elizabeth

Beware Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer, 2001 Houghton Mifflin for Young Readers

     Young Elizabeth has been outcast from court since her mother's execution. When her father dies it takes three days for Elizabeth Tudor to learn of her brother's ascension. Along with her brother Edward, Elizabeth travels to London where she is met by her father's sixth wife, Catherine.
     After the funeral and coronation, Catherine invites the princess and her governess to stay at her house in London. Elizabeth is enamored of her stepmother and happy to have some status in the household. Joining Catherine's house is also Thomas Seymour - the new king's uncle. Elizabeth and her governess Kat notice something between the dowager queen and the king's advisor. The word around the court is that they are lovers.
     But Catherine indicates Thomas Seymour is interested in an alliance with the young princess when she becomes of marriageable age. Kat encourages the romance and Elizabeth is stunned when the arrangement is superseded by a secret marriage between Catherine and her stepson's guardian. Thomas Seymour is at the center of a plot against the throne and is punished accordingly.
    When young King Edward VII falls prey to childhood illness Elizabeth's older half-sister, Mary, becomes queen. Mary is vindictive and seeks to purge the nation of Protestantism, blaming it for the breakdown and destruction of her family. The nation finds hope in its young princess and Mary is threatened by Elizabeth's supporters, she takes steps to prevent outright revolt.
     Beware, Princess Elizabeth is a dramatic telling of real events in Queen Elizabeth I's childhood. Meyer paints a picture of one of England's beloved monarchs for young readers - a picture which fills history's gaps. This tale is intended for middle-grade readers and glosses some of the more sensitive realities of Elizabeth's young life.

Patience Princess Catherine

Patience, Princess Catherine by Carolyn Meyer, 2004 HMH for Young Readers

     Catherine of Aragon was imprisoned by her husband Henry VIII. When she can't produce a male heir Henry's mistress, Anne Boleyn, replaces her at his side. She begins the tale from imprisonment. 

     Catherine relates the story of the trip from Spain as betrothed to the prince Arthur. England is excited to meet the future queen, but Arthur dies shortly after their wedding the Spanish princess's future is in question. 

     The teenage widow is enamored of her royal brother-in-law: Henry is handsome and charming and flirts with the sheltered girl. While she awaits what her parents will arrange with the English king Catherine makes plans to seize her destiny as the English queen. 

     In a diary-like recitation, Catherine's story is peppered with the point of view of her future husband. Following the time between leaving her home in Spain until Catherine fails to produce a son for her second husband her life is uncertain. Patience, Princess Catherine is a middle-grade dramatization of the true story of Henry Tudor VIII's first wife. Meyer writes from extensive research and this is the second novel of the Young Royals series. 

Doomed Queen Anne

Doomed Queen Anne by Carolyn Meyer, 2002 HMH for Young Readers

     Anne Boleyn changed the course of history when Henry Tudor VIII broke with the Catholic church to be able to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Based on true events Anne joins her sister Mary at the court of Queen Catherine when Mary is rumored to be the mistress of the king. 

     Henry has tired of his wife and when he tires of his mistress her sister engages a campaign to become the king's second wife. Anne has always been antagonized by her older sister and largely ignored by her parents--she is not a beauty and even has two signs of a witch: a sixth finger and mole on her neck. Still, the king is infatuated. 

     Anne convinces Henry to request an annulment from the Pope, but he is denied. Henry then breaks with the church and declares his first marriage invalid clearing the way for a second wife: Anne Boleyn. The court hates her for her ambition and calls her a witch, Henry defends his wife until the child she bears him turns out to be a girl. 

    Three years of marriage and no son try Henry's patience and he begins to lose interest in his queen. When the Seymours place Jane in the king's sights Anne senses her position becoming more precarious. Her earlier ambitions come back to knock Anne from her throne: Jane Seymour refuses to be simply the king's paramour and even Anne's sister accuses her of adultery. 

     Anne lives out her days awaiting execution for treason in the Tower of London. History remembers her as the second of Henry VIII's six wives and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Written for young adult readers, some material in Doomed Queen Anne may be inappropriate for middle-grade readers. The story does have several inaccuracies but is an entertaining story. 

Mary, Bloody Mary

Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer, 1999 Gulliver Books

     Princess Mary Tudor is the daughter of Catherine of Aragon and King Henry VIII of England. She is his only legitimate child when her story begins and she is betrothed to the young King of France. When Anne Boleyn catches her father's eye he requests an annulment from Queen Catherine which would make Princess Mary a bastard and remove her social standing. Mary is sent from court to Ludlow and the queen is sent to the north.
     When the king makes a drastic move and separates from the Catholic Church to form his own church, then become its leader, he finally gains the power to divorce Catherine. Henry marries Anne and their union is followed by a daughter, Elizabeth. The king creates a Dual Oath which forswears the Catholic faith to declare Henry the head of the church and Anne's children the heirs to the throne.
     Anyone who refuses to swear is declared a traitor, but Mary has a promise to her mother to uphold. Anne comes after the deposed princess to strengthen her position, but Mary survives while hundreds of Catholic citizens are slaughtered for their faith.
     Meyer's novel is based in history and looks at one of England's most tumultuous eras from the vantage of a young woman at the center of the upheaval. This portrayal of Bloody Mary Tudor imagines the events which shaped her entire life and how they affect teenaged Mary. Middle level readers can relate to a girl who feels like such an outcast as her life changes drastically.

Son

Son by Lois Lowry, 2012 Houghton Mifflin

     When she goes through her Ceremony of Twelve Claire is given the task of Birthmother. In her community, Birthmother is the task of young women selected to bring new lives into the community. When her first delivery is fraught with complications Claire is moved from the Birthmothers' Dormitory to the Fish Hatchery.
     Something keeps nagging at Claire, despite the good work she is doing for the community. When she takes the moment to stop and visit her Product. The child, like all others, is treated as a commodity, but Claire is attached. Unlike the other women in the community Claire has feelings.
     One night a commotion breaks out, Claire never quite remembers what happened, but a child, Jonas, escapes the community with Claire's son and she finds herself following. She is discovered in the ocean offshore of a fishing village on the edge of a sea she has never seen before. Claire grows and discovers a new world full of colors and animals, emotions and friends. She meets a young man: Fierce Einar who teaches her to climb the massive cliff keeping the people along the shore.
     Claire learns to love the young man and he is instrumental while she can no longer remember her life before the village. When Einar decides Claire is ready, he provides her with the courage and confidence which will lead her to her son. When she reaches the top of the cliff Claire meets the Trademaster who trades for what she most wants in the world: to find her son. He even gives her the first knowledge of his name: Gabriel.
     Gabriel escaped with Jonas at the end of The Giver and the two have aged in a refuge which has made its mark by becoming a shelter for those fleeing misfortune. Gabe has always had a desire and need to look to where he came from. He remembers vague moments of his mother holding him, loving him, but they are simply memories of a feeling Gabe hasn't felt in over ten years.
     The boy is preparing to search for his history when Trademaster returns and it is up to Gabe to save the town and people he loves. Claire has spent the last years watching her son from afar when the danger reappears, she must face the consequences of her choices and send him into danger where he can use his gift to save them all.
     In this evocative conclusion to the Giver quartet the reader follows Claire on her journey from a single sheep following dictates of her community to the individual who is willing to trade her chance at happiness to see her child grow into adulthood. Old characters reappear and the reader is rescued from the dangling cliffhanger. Written for middle school readers and older, there are some mature themes throughout the novel, with something for even adult readers to enjoy.

Messenger

Messenger by Lois Lowry, 2004 Houghton Mifflin

     After the events of Gathering Blue Lowry follows Matty when he leaves with Christopher. They settle in the healing Village where Christopher is the Seer. Jonas, originally introduced in The Giver, becomes Leader who manages the village and its altruistic members. Jonas and Gabe have found refuge from their dystopian hometown, just as many of the residents have escaped from hardship and injury.
     Several years after arriving, Matty strives to earn the name Messenger. His caring for the people of the Village begins to manifest in a gift of healing. When the people begin to make dangerous trades with Trademaster (a shadowy figure which trades elements of personality for what the trader most desires, wishes which never come into reality as planned).
     The Village begins to lose its identity and some even aim to close their sanctuary to outsiders. Matty goes in search of the Seer's daughter Kira before the city can close the borders. In his search for Kira's home (introduced in Gathering Blue) Matty finds his healing gift can be used to save the town from itself.
     Matty travels through the Forest, which has a sentience that reflects the health of the Village, it has become more and more dangerous of late. Returning to the Village with Kira the Forest begins to attack the two; Matty must decide what it will take to finish his task and whether his life is worth the changes he can affect.
     Lowry's tale gives more insight to the dangers Jonas and Gabe faced when they escaped in The Giver, and a future for the characters of Gathering Blue. The idea of a trade of inherent qualities for intangible, or even tangible goods is explored, along with the consequences to individuals and communities for such a trade. For readers who enjoyed the City of Ember and its sequels Messenger follows a post-apocalyptic world and its different developing societies.

Always a Witch

Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough, 2011 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

     After being raised without knowledge of her magic, Tamsin Greene is getting a grasp of her power, learning to enjoy it and how to manage it when Alistair Knight again threatens to destroy her family. The centuries-old rivalry between the two families is about to be upset when Alistair flees into the past hoping to alter it. When her grandmother reminds Tamsin of the prophecy surrounding her fate, and that of the family, the young witch agrees to follow Alistair into the past.
     In the seventeenth century Tamsin uses a fake name to find a position as lady's maid in the Knight household. Alistair attempts to warn his ancestors of their danger from the Greene family, but La Spider (the matriarch) is not at home to receive him. La Spider's son, Liam Knight, decides Alistair could be useful in his experiments for immortality. The Knight daughter, Jessica, strikes up a friendship with her new maid and shows the young woman her power for healing - which La Spider and Liam force her to use against her will in their quest.
     Tamsin attempts to find her ancestors in the 1800s, and after some searching it appears they don't believe the girl who claims to be from their future. Thomas Greene sees Tamsin as the harbinger of his death and struggles to accept the future of their family may depend on his own sacrifice. The Greene family battles the Knights, leading to Thomas's death. It is with freely given sacrifice that the Greenes are able to bind the Knights' power into the Domani, Tamsin's friendship with Jessica Knight allows the family to cease Liam's despicable experiments and lock the Knight power safely away.
     The conclusion of Tamsin's story is fraught with danger, sacrifice and the knowledge that what is right is not the easiest or most desirable path. Always a Witch is a modern gothic aimed at high school readers.

Curse of the Blue Tattoo

Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being the Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady by L.A. Meyer, 2004 Harcourt

     After being dropped in Boston, Massachusetts, at the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls Mary "Jacky" Faber is climbing the walls to get back to her adventurous life at sea. But Jacky was found out and there's no place for a girl aboard His Majesty's Dolphin or any sailing ship. The crew drops their favorite ship's boy at the young ladies' academy with directions to try to become a lady.
     Miss Miranda Pimm is the girls' headmistress and despairs of Jacky's wild ways and unacceptable jewelry. When she meets the girls Jacky finds the majority exclude her; all except Amy Trevelyne. The popular girls are led by Clarissa Worthington Howe, who becomes Jacky's nemesis.
     During a walk through the school's graveyard Amy and Jacky discover and unmarked grave, and Jacky suspects the rather strange Reverend Mather had something to do with it. Jacky soon skips class to enjoy Boston and is arrested for dancing in the streets. She meets a prostitute while in jail and is saved by the local populace's disparaging opinion of Miranda Pimm.
     Jacky Faber is returned to the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls and expelled. There she creates several true friendships and begins the unravel the mystery surrounding Reverend Mather. Jacky's promiscuous behavior get her into several scrapes, but her quick thinking and general good luck keep her from getting to far into harm's way. Though rarely apologetic, Jacky maintains that her heart is in the right place, even as she bucks convention. Younger readers will enjoy the adventure, but some of Jacky's exploits are more suitable for readers in middle school or older.

Once a Witch

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough, 2009 Clarion Books

     The Greene family has old magic. On the day of her birth Tamsin Greene is prophesied to be the most powerful of them all, but her magic has never showed up. To avoid being the magical outsider in her family, Tamsin spends most of her time at a boarding school in Manhattan. During the summer she helps out in the family Bookstore/Magic Store and it is there, one summer night, a professor from New York mistakes Tamsin for her Talented sister Rowena and enlists her help.
     At first the quest seems conventional: Tamsin searches for the professor's heirloom. She enlists her friend Gabriel whose Talent is finding things and time travel, but events soon begin to cause problems for the Greene Family.
     Rowena seems to have succumbed to a magic no one can name and the Greene family matriarch has been bespelled, supposedly by Rowena. Their less-than sterling past is brought to the forefront and Tamsin learns more about what brought her family into its prominent place among local society.
     Along the way small events seem to reveal more about Tamsin than she was aware. The search for the professor's heirloom appears to be something much more sinister than Tamsin first thought, and when it unleashes a power more dangerous than she expected the Greene Family stands together to solve their troubles.
     Stereotypes abound throughout the story, though some are shifted from normal expectations. Rowena is perfect in nearly every way, Gabriel is a goody-two-shoes, and Tamsin is the misunderstood younger sister. Yet, most of the characters step outside their allotted roles to become more complete personifications. Once a Witch is followed by Always a Witch, both aimed at high school readers.

Storyteller

Storyteller by Edward Myers, 2008 Clarion Books

     In this framed story an old man tells his grandson the story of Jack. Jack is a farmboy from a small town on the edge of Sundar--but not a simple farmboy. Jack must tell stories as they bubble up from inside him. While still at home Jack meets the mysterious Woman in the Woods and discovers her kingdom in the forest outside town. When he turns seventeen Jack leaves home to seek his fortune.
     On his journey simply Jack becomes Jack Storyteller. He finds that stories are his life's purpose and meets several new friends. Loquasto is a talking bird who has fallen in love with the fish princess Artemisia; one-eyed Garth Golden-Eye is a Robin Hood-like outlaw; the Princess Stelinda is the love of Jack's life, and the daughter of King Alphonse, older sister to Prince Yoss.
     When Yoss, with the help of illusionist Zephyrio, takes Stelinda's throne at their father's death his rule plunges Sundar into depression, both economic and psychological. Stelinda and Jack Storyteller are roped into Yoss's menagerie, driving them apart.
     Jack discovers that his life is a story he has allowed to run free. The storyteller must discover a way to re-harness his tale and put his life back on the track he planned. Storyteller is a new sort of fairytale, accessible to readers as young as elementary school while still able to capture older readers' attention.

The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett, 1911 Frederick A Stokes Publishing

     Mary Lennox is sent away from her family's pot in India, back to England and her mother's family. But her life with her parents wasn't much: her mother and father were self-absorbed and Mary was raised by servants bent on placating her. The selfish and crude child is sent from a household killed by the local cholera outbreak.
     With her uncle Archibald Craven traveling or cooped up away from both his own son and Mary, Mary is her usual surly self. The housekeeper directs the girl to stay in her rooms. Martha, Mary's maidservant, takes pity on the brat and tells her about the late Mrs. Crave and her walled garden. When Mrs. Craven died in her garden after an accident involving a swing and broken tree branch Mr. Craven locks up the gate in the wall and buries the key.
     Mary soon becomes more genial toward Martha and Ben the gardener. She goes out on the moor and explores the Manor becoming more and more pleasant. Eventually, Mary finds the key to the secret garden. Martha's brother Dickon brings gardening tools and after some time he and Mary become friends.
     Exploring the Manor Mary follows the sound of crying and meets her cousin Colin. Mary and Dickon bring Colin out into the garden where he gains strength. The children grow and develop, each in their own way within the walls of the garden. The effects of clean air and child's play have a remarkable affect on everyone at the Manor with magic and common sense prevailing over the nonsense of contemporary science.

Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, 2012 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

     When her arranged marriage nearly ends with her life, Ismae flees to the Convent of St Mortain. There, she discovers the sisters worship and serve the ancient god Death and Mortain himself has gifted his daughter with mortal gifts and a dangerous destiny.
     Ismae chooses to train at the convent and become one of Mortain's Handmaidens, his assassins out in the greater world keeping balance. Ismae discovers a skill with poisons and becomes apprenticed to the potion-making nuns. She discovers a friendship with Annith, the gifted seer and a resident at the convent her entire life, and Sybella, a daughter from one of Brittany's great houses.
     Bolstered by her friends, Ismae is sent on her first mission to the high court. She finds her training, while thorough in matters of death, neglected to teach her the dangers of life at court. The young nobleman she is sent for is more than the abbess taught her to expect. Ismae must choose between what she's been taught and what she knows about her God.
     LaFevers' story is brutal in its violence, suited toward older teens and young adults, with character growth as a powerful reminder that anyone can rise above their situation.

The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, 2003 Mariner Books

     Claire and Henry meet when Claire is 6 and Henry is 36. Over the years their friendship blossoms and develops into romance and when Claire is 22 and Henry 28 they marry and continue their life together. But life married to a time traveler is never predictable.
     As their life together becomes more and more difficult there are times when current Henry and future or past Henry find a way to make Claire's dreams come true. After several terrifying attempts, they have a child and the worries they faced with Henry's time traveling are transferred to their child. Even when Henry's story ends, it isn't really complete. Through thick and thin Claire and Henry find each other in space and time allowing their tale to become a fantastic love story. The fantasy of knowing her future husband her entire life helps when everything seems to be going wrong.
     Time travel as a genetic disorder is a fascinating concept and well developed in Niffenegger's novel. The DeTambles's story is one of perseverance suited to older readers. The graphic interactions and emotional plot lines make the characters more lifelike and believable. 

Bloody Jack

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer, 2002 Harcourt Publishing

     Mary Faber was abandoned as a child when her family died of disease, she joins a gang of other orphans, but when their leader is murdered Mary has no where to go. She takes her dead friend's clothes and disguises herself as a ship's boy under the name Jacky. Aboard the HMS Dolphin, a British warship, Jacky befriends the other ships boys and finds her place among the men. 

     She adopts one of the sailors, Liam Delaney, as her sea-dad and he teaches her the fine art of the pennywhistle and helps her gain her sea-legs. She is finally fitting in when pirates are spotted and a battle begins. When one pirate is poised to kill her friend, whom she is starting to have feelings for, Jacky saves Jaimy's life, but their brotherhood of ships' boys loses a member. 

     Not long after Jacky experiences her first menses, but unaware of the female body's maturation she believes she is dying. When the ship puts into port for repairs Jacky visits a brothel hoping for a woman to explain her body's changes. Her friends only know one reason to visit a brothel and rib Jacky mercilessly for her rakish ways. It isn't long before the rumor spreads aboard ship that young master Jacky is actually Miss Jacky and the men begin to act out of place. Jacky even kills one of the men in self-defense when he assaults her. 

     Jacky reveals her secret to Jaimy when he believes his feelings are socially inappropriate--until Jacky confesses to similar feelings. The two begin a courtship and secret engagement while ashore in Jamaica. They return to ship and the crew of the HMS Dolphin begins hunting pirates. They meet and do battle with LeFievre and his crew, who escape and later capture Jacky for ransom. Jacky manages to survive, but the entire crew of the HMS Dolphin discover her female identity and she is carted off to a Boston Finishing School for her own betterment. 

     Jacky Faber is independent, clever, and somewhat ruthless in her deception. Though she lives a very world-weary life, she is innocent of some of the most basic things in life. Her charm and wit earn Jacky friends in unlikely places and save her life more than once, but along with them come a recklessness that could get not only her neck, but the necks of her friends in more danger than they can withstand. With spunk and a bright outlook on the future, Jacky sails the seas with her friends and adopted family, living life and having fun. Readers of all ages will enjoy this saucy girl and her mischievous ways. 

Number the Stars

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, 1989 Houghton Mifflin, Co.

     When Hitler's Germany starts to take Danish Jews into custody, Annemarie Johansen and her family take in Annemarie's best friend Ellen Rosen when her family must go into hiding. Their hope is to pass Ellen off as Annemarie's older sister Lise, who was killed for her part in the Danish Resistance, until she can escape. Lise's fiance Peter, also part of the Resistance, helps the family to protect the Rosens and get them out of the country to Sweden, a refuge for Jews fleeing the Holocaust.
     Nazi soldiers come to their home and demand the Johansen family tell them where the Rosens have gone. They become suspicious when Annemarie and her sister have blonde hair and Ellen has dark brown, but Mr. Johansen shows the soldiers pictures with names and dates of three children--two blonde, one dark-haired. Though they are deflected the soldiers are not happy about it.
     The next day Ellen and Annemarie travel with Mrs. Johansen to Annemarie's Uncle Henrik's home on the shores of the North Sea. Mrs. Johansen explains they are going for an aunt's funeral, but Annemarie knows there is no such aunt and demands Uncle Henrik explain; he says it is easier to be brave when you don't know the whole truth.
     At the funeral ceremony, Nazi soldiers again arrive. When they demand to open the casket Annemarie's mother tells them a story about the aunt dying of typhus: the country doctor warned that everyone would contract the disease if the casket were opened. Her explanation angers the soldiers, but they leave. Afterward the casket is opened and the many Jewish families that had attended are given supplies to last until they arrive in Sweden.
     The next morning Ellen goes with Uncle Henrik to meet up with her family and commence their escape. But Mrs. Johansen notices that Mr. Rosen dropped an important package on his way down the stairs, she gives it to Annemarie in a basket of food and sends her hurrying down to the docks. On her way she is stopped by more Nazi soldiers who throw the food about and find the package, a handkerchief, they send her on her way and Annemarie gets to Uncle Henrik's boat in time to give it to him.
     When Uncle Henrik returns he explains why the handkerchief was important, and the Johansens return home to Copenhagen. After the war, Annemarie learns that her sister was intentionally killed by the Nazis, and that Peter has also been killed. The Jews return home to discover their neighbors have taken care of their shops and homes, awaiting their return. Ellen and her family return and Annemarie has her Star of David necklace repaired after the Nazi invasion of their apartment caused her to break it.
     This story is one of the best-selling children's stories of the last twenty years; the friendship between Ellen and Annemarie as well as the willingness of the Danish people to put their lives at risk to help their neighbors shows an inspiring united front against the German machine of World War II. Number the Stars's title refers to both Ellen's Star of David and a biblical passage in which God has numbered the stars and knows the name of each one--just as he knows the name and heart of each human. Written to be understood by a younger readership, some of the gruesome details of the war are more suited to older elementary and middle school readers. Still, it is a tale that shows the ingenuity of human spirit and how a nation rose against oppression in favor of their own people.