Summoned to the Great Castle of Firenze to create a special dress for Princess Isabella Caramella Gorgonzola, Anabel, a talented seamstress, is at first delighted but then increasingly despairing as time passes and her efforts are continually subverted by an unseen sprite.
Life in the court of King Henry VIII is a complex game. When 15-year-old Catherine Howard catches the king’s eye, she quickly transforms from pawn to queen. But even luxury beyond imagination loses its luster as young Catherine finds her life–and her heart–threatened by the needs of an aging king and a family hungry for power. Will their agendas deliver Catherine to the same fate as her infamous cousin, Anne Boleyn–sacrificed at the altar of family ambition? Engaging historical fiction with a throbbing YA heartbeat, this thrilling novel will draw readers into the intrigues and dangers of the Tudor court.
Emily Brown’s rabbit, Stanley, is NOT FOR SALE.Not even to her Most Royal Highness Queen Gloriana the Third.Not even for all the toys Emily Brown could ever desire.So when naughty Queen Gloriana steals “Bunnywunny” away, Emily Brown sets out to get him back. Along the way, she shows the queen how to love a special toy of her very own. The popular author of How to Train Your Dragon teams up with the author/illustrator of Oscar and Arabella in this irresistible picture book.
Kings and queens can be kind or cruel, greedy or generous, wise or foolish. Some of the best stories in the Bible are about ancient rulers who became famous for their deeds. From King Solomon’s wisdom to Queen Esther’s bravery,Mary Hoffman retells seven biblical stories, brought to life by Christina Balit’s vibrant art.
Presents a social history of the Islamic world from the eighth through the mid-thirteenth century, with a focus on life in the upper echelons of society.
Sir Francis Walsingham, England’s spymaster general, has eyes and ears all over the world. His secret service protects Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth—and ensures the might of all of England. Now he has a new recruit. Fourteen-year-old Nathan Fox is an actor in the same company as young Will Shakespeare. His life in the theater has taught him a thing or two about disguises and deception. But nothing can prepare Nathan for the shadowy world he’s about to enter now. Nathan is trained in swordplay and street fighting, code breaking and escapes. Then he’s paired with fearless spy John Pearce for his first mission: a journey to Venice to forge an alliance against the powerful King of Spain. Posing as master and servant, Nathan and Pearce move smoothly through Venetian society… until they cross paths with the great General Othello. Soon they become entangled in his tragic love affair with a young noblewoman, Desdemona. Nathan’s new life holds more action and more drama than he ever saw on a stage. But will he ever survive to tell Will Shakespeare this tale?
A cruel and greedy king prizes a pearl necklace above all, but the kind-hearted young woman who becomes his wife gives the pearls away one by one to help the poor.
Princess Hsi-Ling Chi has heard tales of a sleeping dragon and ancient gods residing in the Holy Mountains beyond her father’s palace. But when she emerges from the gates for the first time, she is not afraid. She has a magical thread unraveled from a tiny cocoon that dropped into the Empress’s teacup, and she knows it will lead her back to the palace garden. She is very far from home when she notices that the thread has broken, and that she is lost.
Growing up, Elizabeth fears she can never be Queen. Although she is the King’s daughter, no woman can ever hope to rule over men in England, especially when her mother has been executed for treason. For all her royal blood, Elizabeth’s life is fraught with danger and uncertainty. Sometimes she is welcome in the royal court; other times she is cast out into the countryside. With her position constantly changing, the Princess must navigate a sea of shifting loyalties and dangerous affections. At stake is her life—for beheading is not uncommon among the factions that war for the Crown. With the vivid human touch that has made her one of the foremost writers of historical fiction, Ann Rinaldi brings to life the heart and soul of the young Elizabeth I. It’s a portrait of a great leader as she may have been as she found her way to the glorious destiny that lay before her.
This is an informative picturebook biography of Egypt’s only successful female pharaoh. Hatshepsut gained Egypt’s throne when all her male siblings — including the half brother whom she married — died. Originally named regent to her nephew, Tuthmosis III, Hatshepsut gradually assumed more and more power, and eventually had herself crowned pharaoh. Since no word existed for a female ruler, Hatshepsut used the male title. She also wore men’s clothing and a beard, and referred to herself as “he” as well as “she.”
Hatshepsut’s reign was a peaceful and prosperous one. She sent an expedition to explore Punt, an exotic land of riches, and built beautiful monuments, including a magnificent temple on which she had artists carve and paint scenes from her life and reign. Following her death, Tuthmosis III tried to erase evidence of Hatshepsut’s reign to make it seem as though he had succeeded his father directly.
Catherine M. Andronik explains how, despite this vandalism, archaeologists have been able to piece together the story of this unconventional pharaoh’s life.