Raleigh's Page

Raleigh’s Page

Author: Alan Armstrong

Illustrator: Tim Jessell

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

ISBN-10: 0375833196
ISBN-13: 978-0375833199

Raleigh’s Page is the riveting story of Andrew, a young boy sent to be a page to his father’s old friend Walter Raleigh. Yeah that Walter Raleigh - throw his pearl studded cloak on a puddle for Queen Elizabeth of England to walk on Walter Raleigh. Pretty cool, no? I was always fascinated by that story but didn't really know much about him other than the usual middle school page in a history book.

Andrew goes to live in Raleigh's estate along with two other boys who are already serving as pages to him. He is fascinated by all the newness but misses his family. One of the boys is cruel but the other is a good friend to him. Andrew, the farmer's son makes a great friend in the French gardener and becomes his apprentice. Together they learn of strange plants from other lands and prepare for the New World.

Raleigh himself is an interesting character in this book. I was fascinated by his excitement and verve. Walter Raleigh is a high energy, intelligent and purposeful man in this book. His way of teaching the children in his care is also fascinating. He plans secret trials that not only test the boy's writing, business acumen and other abilities but he tests the strength of their character. Interesting.

Andrew, being a solid farm boy with good values and a strong character shines in this story. He's a normal boy with hopes and dreams and fears, yet he consistently rises to any occasion, whether it be spying, carrying secret documents or venturing out to the New World. He meets the mysterious Dr. Dee, the Queen's own astrologer among other characters that populate this book.

Ah yes, Raleigh is planning a big trip to the colony of Virginia - the first expedition to Roanoke and Andrew is determined to go along. The story gets even more interesting once Raleigh's ship actually gets to Virginia. Alan Armstrong writes a great tale full of intrigue, adventure, compassion and understanding.

Raleigh's Page is one heck of a great read. The marvelous illustrations by Tim Jessell give depth to the story and a flavor for the time period in which it is set. One of my favorite illustrations is one of Walter Raleigh almost bursting with excitement.

Book Description from the publisher:
Andrew has grown up near the Plymouth docks hearing the sailors talk about America. Knowing that Andrew's heart is set on going to the new world, his father sends him up to London to serve as page in the house of Walter Raleigh. In Queen Elizabeth's court, Raleigh's the strongest voice in favor of fighting with Spain for a position in the New World, and everyone knows that it's just a matter of time before Her Majesty agrees to an expedition. Can Andrew prove himself fit to go on an expedition to the New World?

Meticulously researched and brilliantly crafted, combining fictional characters with historical, Andrew's tale offers up a vivid look at the cloak and dagger politics of the time and a genuine feel for what it must have been like for the first Europeans to set foot on the beautiful, bountiful, savage shores of America.

About the Author
Alan Armstrong's first book, Whittington, was awarded the Newbery Honor in 2006. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Martha, a painter.

At the Firefly Gate

At the Firefly Gate
Author: Linda Newbery
Publisher: David Fickling Books
ISBN-10: 0385751133
ISBN-13: 978-0385751131

At the Firefly Gate is a lovely story of friendship, love, loss and simple courage. Henry and his parents move to a quiet Suffolk village near an old World War II airfield. Henry is upset about the move and misses his friends in the city very much. He has the usual dread of a new school, making new friends, getting made fun of. Henry is a small child and very shy. On his first night in his new home, he looks out the window and sees a man smoking at the gate with sparkling lights around him. This frightens Henry and adds to his feeling that he shouldn’t be living there.

As the days pass, Henry makes friends with the neighbor’s old aunt Dottie. Henry reminds Dottie of her fiancé (also named Henry), an RAF navigator who disappeared in the war. Henry and Dottie seem to have a deep bond while Dottie’s great niece lives to torment him.

Things start to get really interesting when Henry starts hearing the sound of WW2 planes flying overhead at night. Henry gets the feeling of being in someone else’s body and he starts to see visions of another time. He dreams of a life as an RAF navigator and starts to believe there’s a ghost out there that needs him to do something. He sees the guy from his gate as a young air force pilot talking to a girl at a restaurant. Henry begins to investigate the time by asking old-timers.

The book is well-written and tells it’s tale with a quiet and gentle force. The book almost reads as if it were written in the era Henry dreams about which was a pleasant surprise. There’s modern touches well that depict Henry’s present day life like the flight simulation game he plays that shows him more of RAF Henry’s mystery. The descriptions of the Suffolk town where Henry lives in are just wonderful. You feel you're there.

I love the courage Henry shows, the friendship and the kindness he shows to an elderly and dying woman. The book is so quietly emotional and real that you will find it moves you profoundly.

The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After

The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After
Authors: Patricia C. Wrede, Caroline Stevermer
Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books
ISBN-10: 0152055487
ISBN-13: 978-0152055486

The Mislaid Magician is the third in a series about two letter writing cousins who live in an alternate England where magic, magicians and wizards exist. There’s even a Royal College of Magicians. The other two books in the series are Sorcery and Cecilia and The Grand Tour. This book is ten years after the honeymoon and both cousins now have families of their own.

The story begins with Cecilia’s husband being called by the Duke of Wellington to investigate the disappearance of an engineer/magician. Cecilia leaves her children with Kate and Thomas and sets off with her husband to help find the missing magician. The mystery deepens as they discover something wrong with the ley lines in the area.

The story is told via correspondence between Kate and Cecilia as well as Thomas and James (the husbands).

The children figure into this story as well. Edward gets kidnapped when investigating a mysterious gypsy caravan on their property. Kate and Thomas rescue him and find another child, a silent, seemingly very well off girl named Drina.

The Mislaid Magician is a charming story with lots of mystery. There’s several to solve and the epistolary way it is told is very original.

Celandine

Celandine
Author: Steve Augarde
Publisher: David Fickling Books
ISBN-10: 038575048X
ISBN-13: 978-0385750486


Celandine is the sequel to The Various, a book I haven’t read. If Celandine is an indicator, I’m long overdue to read it because this book was marvelous.

Celandine is a young girl living in England during World War I. Her brother has been killed and she is devastated by the loss. Celandine’s story begins with her running away from her horrible boarding school and heading for the secret hiding place of the Various, tiny creatures that live in the bramble near her home. She turns to them for safety but all is not well with the different tribes, they are nearing a war of their own and have other problems as well.

The book flashes back to what led Celandine to be sent away to boarding school, how she came to know the little people and a bit about her family and the feeling of the time. It’s a rich story and the intersecting of all these stories is sublime. I loved it. Celandine reminds me of stories like The Little Princess or The Secret Garden with elements of fairy and fantasy intertwined. Steve Augarde’s Various aren’t so magical though, rather they are tiny, desperate but kind creatures struggling with hunger and poverty as they’ve been pushed farther and farther back into the bramble as the modern world encroaches.

Celandine is a rich and interesting character as well. As the back story progresses, we get to know her loneliness, her feeling out of place with her wild hair, her Austrian mother, the governess that is hostile towards her. We share her angst, her desperation. One of the most moving parts of the book for me was her realization that by feeding her, the ragged children of the Various were going without. Her determination to help them and not be a drain is admirable and I saw in that written moment, Celandine grew up.

I can’t wait to read The Various after this!

Celandine is a great book for that pre-teen girl who is struggling with her own identity crisis. I think readers of all ages will identify with her and more importantly, understand her. It’s a great book and one of those stories that is timeless.

Tech Tags: children's+literature fiction illustration WWI England the+various