The Shakespeare Stealer is a 1998 young adult novel, written by Gary Blackwood. The novel is a historical fiction novel, and takes place in Elizabethan England. It was an ALA Notable Children's Book in 1999[1].
| File:Shakespeare Stealer (reprint).jpg The cover of a 2000 paperback edition of The Shakespeare Stealer | |
| Author | Gary Blackwood |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult novel |
| Publisher | Puffin Books |
Publication date | May 1, 1998 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Hardcover and Paperback Audio CD and casette |
| Pages | 208 pp (hardcover) 224 pp (paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0141305950 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
| Followed by | Shakespeare's Scribe |
Plot summary
A fourteen-year-old boy, known as Widge, has nothing. He's an orphan, he doesn't even know his real name. His only talent in a shorthand language that is valuable to his master, a clergyman, who wants William Shakespeare's Hamlet, which hasn't been reprinted yet, for himself.
Widge is given the assignment to write the play out in shorthand, and sets off to London, with a companion named Falconer. Falconer is a ruthless man, who is given the job of making sure that the deed is accomplished, no matter what. But during the play performance, Widge is so caught up in the play that before long, all he wants is to know what happens in the play. Then his notebook is stolen.
Threatened by Falconer, he is forced to work his way into the acting troupe, and eventually begins appearing with the troupe as Ophelia. He befriends them and makes him feel a part of a family. He begins to deliberate various moral issues he never would have thought of before, including where his loyalties should lie.
Sequels
The novel's popularity has spawned two sequels:
- Shakespeare's Scribe (2000)
- Shakespeare's Spy (2003)
The three novels were published together as a single, 784 page volume in 2004[2].
Awards and nominations
- 1999 ALA Notable Children's Book[1]
- 1999 ALA Best Book for Young Adults[3]
- An NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies[4]
- 1998 Smithsonian Magazine Notable Book[5]
- 1998 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year[6]
- 1999 Child Study Children's Book Committee Best Children's Book of the Year[7]
- 1998 Junior Library Guild selection[8]
Footnotes
- ^ a b "1999 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
- ^ "Bookshelf: Children's Books in Brief". New York Times.
- ^ "1999 ALA Best Books for Young Adults". American Library Association. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
- ^ "1999 NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Books" (PDF). Smithsonain Magazine. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
- ^ "1998 Smithsonian Magazine Notable Books". Smithsonain Magazine. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
- ^ "SLJ's Best Books 1998". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
- ^ "The Shakespeare Stealer at Mobipocket.com". Mobipocket.com. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
- ^ "Gary Blacwood at WFNS.com". WFNS.com. Retrieved 2008-01-16.