The Shakespeare Stealer (#1 of 3) [B1722]

2000 PB in nice clean condition. For young readers 8-12 years. A delightful adveture full of humor and heart set in Elizabethan England! Widge is an orphan with a rare talent for shorthand. His fearsome master has just one demand: steal Shakespeare's play "Hamlet"--or else. Widge has no choice but to follow orders, so he works his way into the heart of the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare's players perform. As full of twists and turns as a London alleyway, this entertaining novel is rich in period details, colorful characters, villainy, and drama. "A fast-moving historical novel that introduces an important era with casual familiarity."--School Library Journal, starred review. "Readers will find much to like in Widge, and plenty to enjoy in this gleeful romp through olde England"--Kirkus Reviews. "Excels in the lively depictions of Elizabethan stagecraft and street life."--Publishers Weekly.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "The story of a theatre prentice who was hired to steal Shakespeare's Hamlet and how instead he learns what it means to have friendship, family, and trust."; "Proud of my tween self for recognizing this as the super fun book it is!"; " I read this as a read aloud with my boys. I had thought it'd be a great tool for increasing our awareness and knowledge of Shakespearean history and culture - and it was - but it was also just a captivating story about an orphan finding his place in the world and finding acceptance in an unexpected community: the Lord Chamberlain's Men, the troupe of actors who perform William Shakespeare's plays. Between sword fights (staged and real), chase scenes, mistaken identities, betrayal and forgiveness, we really enjoyed this book."; "A fascinating visit to the theatre of Shakespeare's time by a master story teller. Book one of an amazing trilogy I stumbled across in a discount store. After I finished the book, I looked for everything this author wrote. Gary Blackwood is a gift to the literary world. I definitely recommend this book for young people."