Beware Princess Elizabeth      By: Carolyn Meyer 
In Beware Princess Elizabeth, the young Princess Elizabeth tells of her journey to the throne. It is told from her point of view, sort of like a diary.  In the book, she is prosecuted because her half-sister, Mary (otherwise known as Bloody Mary) believes that she is a threat to the throne.  Even though they are sisters, they do not get along well at all.

Once Mary , who is Catholic (the old Faith), is on the throne, she starts to behead every Protestant (the new faith) she can find.  If they change to Catholic, the are spared.

After Elizabeth (who is Protestant) refuses to reform, she is sent away to a prison-like castle.  Apart from that, Mary keeps on accusing her of making plots to throw her off the throne, which Elizabeth has nothing to do with.  Finally, the people of England get fed up and behead Mary.

Elizabeth then becomes Queen.  After all of the hardship she endured, I think she deserved it.
 - reviewed by Martha B.

Dovey Coe                By: Frances O’Roark Dowell

Dovey Coe is an excellent book about a 12 year old girl who faces many difficulties.  Her brother, Amos, is deaf and many people think he is a freak.  Her sister, Caroline, plans on going away to Teacher’s College, but when Parnell Caraway takes a fancy to her and wants to marry Caroline, Caroline begins to wonder what she wants to do with her life.  Dovey is horrified when her parents fully support Caroline and Parnell because she HATES Parnell.  That is why it is very suspicious when Dovey is found at the crime scene – right next to Parnell’s dead body!  Did Dovey kill Parnell?  (Everyone knows she hates him).  If Dovey did not kill Parnell, then who did?
-  reviewed by Sara

Queens Own Fool                              
By: Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris

This is a very good book.  It was exciting and extremely well written.  I couldn’t stop reading.  Queens Own Fool is also full of detail and images.  The authors convinced me that it was all true.

Queens Own Fool is about a girl named Nicola.  She performs in her uncle’s entertainment troupe.  One night, they perform for Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots.  Mary loves Nicola’s wit and honesty and buys her from her cruel uncle.  They live in France at first but soon move to Scotland.  Mary and Nicola’s friendship grows, even through the quest for power, murder, and religious connections that follow the Queen wherever she goes.  Mary is eventually put in prison, and Nicola helps her to escape.  However, Mary is soon captured again by Elizabeth, her cousin, who imprisons and then beheads her.  Things turn out more happily for Nicola, who marries and has children, but she is always haunted by her friend’s fate.

In conclusion, this was a wonderful historical fiction book and one of the best books I have read all year.  Everyone should read it!
-         reviewed by Emily M.

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
This book is about the yellow fever in 1793 inn Philadelphia. The main character Mattie Cook is faced with many tragedies and changes all at once. Her little world is crumbling all around her. This book is very good, but do not read it if you are looking for a happy, joyful book.- reviewed by Alexandra