Skip to main content

Daughter of the White Rose

Image
By
By Diane Zahler
New York: Holiday House, 2021. Fiction. 246 pgs.

12-year-old Nell Gould is born a commoner in London in 1426, in the midst of England's Wars of the Roses. Nell, the daughter of the royal butcher, is born on the same day as Prince Edward -- called Ned -- the future King of England, and the two grow up as close friends and companions. When Ned is sent away from London to learn to become King, Nell decides to pursue an education so that she may write letters to her friend. Years later, Ned's father King Edward IV dies and Ned's uncle, scheming to become King Richard III, imprisons Ned and his younger brother Dickon in the Tower of London with Nell and her younger brother as company. This fictionalized telling of a historical story builds to a tragic ending.

Readers who know their English history will be familiar with the tragic story of the princes in the Tower and will see the ending coming: the princes are murdered by their scheming uncle, desperate to become King. Zahler's ending considers historical accounts of the "reappearance" of Dickon years later, and places Nell, a fictional character, as the major agent in aiding his escape and survival. Nell is a wholly worthy heroine, filled with determination, intelligence, and grit. Fans of Karen Cushman, Carolyn Meyer, or Jane Yolen's historical fiction will find a lot to like in this quick-paced novel.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Painting for Peace in Ferguson

By
Painting for Peace in Ferguson By Carol Swartout Klein Treehouse Publishing Group, 2015. Nonfiction. When the city of Ferguson was overrun with so much hate and despair that homes and businesses had to be boarded up to protect property, citizens of the community decided to bring a message of hope by painting the boarded windows. Klein’s rhyming text supports the photographs of the hundreds of artists and volunteers and their artwork as they bring the messages of peace, hope, love, and that by being united they can make a difference. A great book to show children how a community rallied to make a positive change and that even a small gesture can make a huge difference. A great discussion opener on how we should treat each other.
Post a Comment
Read more

Books to Read... Inspired by Our Summer Reading Theme

By
I am very excited about the summer reading theme here at the library: Color Our World. From the first moment I heard what the theme was going to be, it has been on my mind, and I noticed I was seeing bright and vibrant colors in so many picture books. Here are a few colorful books that inspired me! I hope you enjoy reading all summer long. How Do You Eat Color? Written by Mabi David Illustrated by Yas Doctor Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2025. Picture Book. If you want a book full of vibrant colors, this one will definitely meet your expectations. Bold and eye-catching, the illustrations are a reminder that color is all around us, including in delicious foods that we eat. Even the endpapers are a deep and stunning shade that made me think of summer! I appreciated the tips the author included for why eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is important for all of us. Inventions to Count On Written by Dana Marie Miroballi Illustrated by Sawyer Cloud New Y...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Bletchley Riddle

By
  The Bletchley Riddle By Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin New York: Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2024. Fiction. 392 pages. It's spring of 1940, Hitler has swept through most of Europe, and people believe England will be next. Half Polish-Jewish, half American Jakob has been recruited from Cambridge to Bletchley Park where they are working on deciphering the enigma machine. Jakob's sister Lizzie, meanwhile, is being forced to move from London to Cleveland to live with her grandmother after her mother disappeared in a 1939 attack in Poland. Lizzie manages to escape the keeper her grandmother sent for her to bring her to America and makes her way to Bletchley, where she's eventually given the task of delivering messages between departments. When secret messages begin appearing with Lizzie's belongings, she must decipher them to find the truth about her mother's past and location, while keeping the secrets away from the MI5 agent that seems a little t...
Post a Comment
Read more