To everyone that cannot find a copy of this book or wnats to find a copy of it--don't worry. Weetamoo was published in June of 2001 but was very rare to find and less than a month after it was published, all copies of the book were taken back to Scholastic, Inc. to be revised and edited. Weetamoo has been re-written and edited and will be published by this fall according to Carolyn Meyer--another Royal Diaries author who is friends with Patricia Clark Smith.

I checked a book out by Donna Jo Napoli by this same author-Donna Jo Napoli-called Sirena and I loved it so much that I decided to read this books when I saw it in a local bookstore. This book starts out slow but starts to progress and build up until at the end a ton of action erupts and a great and unexpected ending comes around. The story is about Donata- a 14 year old daughter of a rich Venetian merchant.She grows up secluded in the family's palazzo-away from the real world, education, learning, and everyhting that has to do with men.However, as she is gettin golder her mother is planning to wed away some of her daughters, the rest to be sent away to a convent-one of the brides being the beautiful Donata.Before it is too late and Donata is kept in a house with children forever, she decides to experience the Venice thta her brothers and all men in her family have ever known. Dusguising herself as a boy and having hert twin sister Laara act as her while she is gone, Donata visits the vast city. She even befriends a Jewish man who runs a newspaper-and decides to be an employee and learn to write and read as she earns money.Everyday she goes out to the Jewish ghetto and every night she returns home in time for dinner. However, the story isn't all fun and adventure. Donata's mother thinks that Donata is doing all of the work Laura is doing(Laura is doing her chores and Donata's).So, Donata is to be amrried when Laura deserves it.After taking lessons with her brothers from a private tutor, learning to write at a newspaper, and becoming more educated thna any other girl in her family-Donata hatches a plan-a plan that could destroy her family and have them cast out of Venice.But Donata does it for love of her sister, Laura. I really enjoyed this book and it really used a lot of helpful Italian, showed you Italian history, and told a story that is truly genuine and well thought up and written. I recommend this book to all historical fiction fans.

I also reccomend-Dear America, Royal Diaries, Young Royals, all of Donna Jo Napoli's books-especially Sirena and Beast

I thought this book would be boring and bought it early at a September bookfair to complete my Royal Diaries collection, but when I read it-I found it too be better than Gregory's earlier Royal Diary-Cleopatra.Not only better thna Cleopatra, but better than any of the Royal Diaries! The story follows the teenage years of Eleanor, the oldest daughter of the duke of Aquitaine-a French duchy.As a teenage girl-Eleanor lives a life in her father's many castles-particularly Poitiers and Talmont-by-the-Sea under the education of her Grandmere (Grandmother) along with her dearest sister, Petronilla. Over the years we see the beautful and artistic court of Aquitaine-which is very genuine considering the courts of other countries are artless and dank places. Anyway, we hear stories of Eleanor's past-filled with tragic deaths-including her four-year-old brother's which is heartbreaking.We hear Eleanor's love interest over a knight-Clotaire the Stronger and we even get to experience her strong and fantasy like relationship with Petronilla.However, after her father's many careless and artistic years as Duke of Aquitaine, he begins to become a religious man and decides to take a religious pilgrimage to a cathedral in Spain.Taking his daughters only as far as Bordeaux, he dies only months later of food poisoning he contracted from uncooked fish. Eleanor is placed under the guardianship of the King of France-Louis VI.Since Eleanor now holds more land than the king-Louis marries Eleanor to his son-14 year old Louis VII.Eleanor instantly falls in love with him.Although she meets him in the most unexpected spot-she is in the lake having jumped in with so much excitement.A shirtless boy with golden hair and a tanned chest helps her out.Only thne doe sshe realize it's her teenage husband. We then begin to hear of her love for Louis and his for her and their secret meetings. The story ends only a few days after the marriage of the two teens-who travel on their wedding night to secure a castle that endsin a military tragedy.It's not the romance Eleanor imagines.The last entry is when Eleanor finds out Louis's father-the king-died of dysenterry and now she is the queen of France and Aquitaine with her husband at her side! This is a romantic and lively story that is well-written researched, full of great vocabulary, gives a great insight on Eleanor's later life, and shows the world of the wonderful court of the duchy of Aquitaine.This book is great and everyone should read it!-don't just buy it to finsih the collection.

The author may be 15 and she may not have needed to leave her hometown to write this book-but it is awesome! It takes place during the Dust Bowl in a small Texas town called Dalhart in 1935. Grace Edwards is a young teenager who's father grows crops, her mother is a housewife, and has a younger sister, Ruth. The girls attend a small school, where most of the families are all affected by the Dust Bowl-they are poor, have a hard life, and are very nice and mannered people.Except for a rich family's children-Sadie and her sisters. They are so mean and real that you just want to hit them and make them look like idiots. Anyway, Grace is used to the hardwork but when the Dust Bowl threatens to take her friends away-both to another state and to death, Grace and Ruth have a hard time surving. Grace does volunteer at a hospital for dust pneumonia victims, but it is so hard since most of the victims die, breaking Grace's heart.The ending is especially surprising and touching-you will never expect it so I won't say it here.Read the books to find out! This book is well researched and written, uses good vocabulary, is very educational, and is a true addition to the Dear America series. Don't just get this book to complete your collection, like I had done, read this book and enjoy it!

The third intstallment in the Young Royals series takes us into the life of not a young princess of Henry VIII's court but instead, into the life of the mother of Elizabeth-Anne Boleyn.Born without great wealth and a known name-Anne is the outcast of her family, and insult.She was born with a sixth finger and a large mole on her neck.However, her sister Mary is the mistress to Henry VIII and her brother George will someday be something great-for he is a healthy and smart boy.Over the years, Anne is sent to live in France-but quickly moves to the Netherlands to be a lady-in-waiting to Queen Margaret. Not soon after, Anne is summoned back to France for the Field of Cloth and Gold-where King Henry VIII and the king of France will sign a peace proclamation. After meeting up with her sister, Mary-Anne returns soon after to England and becomes a member of Henry VIII's court.Over the years, she has many lovers,butone in particular causes her banishment from court and they are told never to see each other again.She lives back at her parent's house for the next year or so,when her parents recieve titles.Anne is allowed to come back to court for the celebration.It is here that Henry VIII catches Anne's eye and the two begin a secret romance. Henry sends Anne love letters and gifts-he visits her at night and sings songs to her. Anne is very happy. But the court is not.Catherien of Aragon is Henry's wife and she should be getting all of this attention-which is what all of the court believes. But Anne doesn't care and after a few years of him begging her to be his mistress-and she says no-he asks her to marry him!However, he already has a wife-Catherien of Aragon.So, he sends many men to the Pope and after many tries to get a divorce-the Pope refuses. So Henry sets up his own church and Catherien is banished to a convent.Anne is now queen-after a secret ceremony. Anne is soon after coronated and is pregnant. It's supposed to be a son but Anne loses the child. Anne becomes pregnant again and it is unfortunately a girl-Elizabeth I. Henry is upset with Anne but she is pregnant again and loses this child also-and it was a boy she lost, was what the phyisicians proved. Henry lose his love for Anne over this time and is already giving gifts and singing songs for his later wife-Jane Seymour.To marry Jane-he arrests Anne and her brother, George, and a few others. They are to be tried for adultery and treason. Although not one of them committed these crimes-they are all found guilty and are to be executed.
I thought this book was great, well-written and very accurate and descriptive but I thought Beware, Princess Elizabeth was better.This book covered all of Anne's life and is shorter than Elizabeth-which only covered about ten years of Elizabeth's life. Although I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes royalty or historical ficiton-I'd say read Beware Princess Elizabeth first.I'm not saying this was a bad books-I'm just saying it isn't the best book in the series as far as suspense, plots, and the storyline goes.Congratulations to Carolyn Meyer on such a great book!

I read this book quite some time ago but it has to be one of the best books I have ever read. Mary was born into a world of jewels, silks, and countless pleasures, despite the fact the she was not the son Henry VIII wanted so dearly. Showered with royal titles by the age of three, Mary was what every girl wnated to be-unitl her beloved father met Anne Boleyn, sister to his former mistress and lady-in-waiting to Mary's mother, Catherine of Aragon. Now, she fears for her jewels, titles, and above all-her life, every day! Mary is reduced from the richest girl in England to a servant, awarded no titles whatsoever, to become a bastard-illegitimate to the English throne. Although she achieves a commoner's title compared to a royal's, Lady, she declares that she will become a queen,and get rid of her new sister, Elizabeth. She can't help but loving this little baby, but she must hold back the love, in order to achieve her goals. Now living in the servant's quarters to Elizabeth( Mary, who is seventeen, is Elizabeth's servant while Elizabeth is a few months old!) Mary achieves the kindness of her former nursemaid and other servants and escapes the dreadful prison of serving her baby sister. This is a sad story- one of the girl everyone has hated for her religious intolerance, Bloody Mary. But when you finish this book, you will love Mary and pity her, and hate Anne and Elizabeth. But when you read the sequel Beware Princess Elizabeth, you will definetly hate Mary instead! This is one of Meyer's best works, and as a devoted Royal Diary fan, it is better than her two titles-Anastasia and Isabel. I highly recommed this book to anyone of historical interest or fans of English history. Make sure to read the sequel and the third book-Doomed Queen Anne!

I'm usually one to say that the newest Dear America book is the best but after I have re-read all of them and read the newest ones that just came out-I'd have to say that this was the best one. Kathleen is a teenage girl whose world has suddenly fallen into WWI. She lives in the constent fear that her father will have to go to war, that she will never see her cousin again, and that her mother will be arrested for picketing outside the White House and other landmarks for the women's right to vote. Kathleen attends a private ladies' school, with her cousin, until she has to leave for her grandmother's, whom she dislikes. In the dead of the night, her cousin escapes and runs off to France to be a nurse. Now, Kathleen has lost her best friend. However, she still has her other school friends, who make fun of one girl who has a German last name and ask if she plans to change it. In the midst of her own troubles, women are starting to be arrested from the pickets and even he rmom lands in an infamous jail. She and her family visit their beloved mother but Kathleen become svery upset when she learns that her mother can't make the school award show. However, Kathleen gets a surprise. This is truly a good book and anyone who likes Dear America books or historical fiction should read this. Out of all of Kathryn Lasky's Dear America and Royal Diaries, this one has got to be the best!

While the Dear America books are supposed to represent girls in important events of our past, this particular diary takes a certain turn and takes place about 30 years ago, in one of the most devastating times in history-the Vietnam War. ... I think that this book was really great, but, it starts to die down about halfway through, which made me kinda disappointed and angry that I spent ($$$) on it. I personally think her other two books in the Dear America series were much better. But, if you are a true Dear America fan, like myself, you should buy this to complete your collection and it wouldn't hurt to give this book a try!

While Kathryn Lasky has written four books from the Royal Diaries series(12 books as of right now, she is better suited with writing on princesses of the European and Western world. Her stories of Marie Antoinette, Elizabeth I, and Mary, Queen of Scots were excellent. They shows these girls in a perspective as if they were real-they would write about things but they wouldn't sit there and describe them as if the diary actually were to learn what the object was. However, Jahanara-Princess of Princesses failed to uphold that Lasky belief. While Lasky was unfamiliar with the Moghul world of which she was writing, she still amde it very believable and real, except that Jahanara described things just a little too much. While that is disturbing at times, the story turned out to be pretty good. The diary takes place right before her father takes the Moghul throne as Shah Jahan, which he does by faking his death. We follow Jahanara into her grand palace, where everything is covere din jewels. These people ahd so many jewels they covered their bathtubs in them! Yet, Jahanara didn't have what she truly wanted-freedom. She must stay in the harem forever in her childhood, behind screens of purity and heavy veils. The only day she can go out she must wear her heaviest veils-at the Flirting Bazaar. However, she gets over her desires by diving into he rlessons, religion, and affairs of the palace, including great wars and beautiful weddings. However, it is not all jewels and palaces. The great Snake-Nur Mahal had taken Jahanara's brothewr as hostages and returned them-one know a devout but evil Muslim and a learned young boy who deserves to be on the throne. Nur Mahal takes her Muslim nephew and trains him along with Raushanara, Jahanara's younger sister, in her evil ways, which cost many live sin the future. The story is very gripping and sad at the end when the beloved mother of Jahanara dies in childbirth that you almost wish the diary would go on much longer, almost a slong as the Lady of Chiao Kuo royal diary. The book wasn't a big failure but it wasn't anywhere near as realistic as the other Lasky books. The book includes a note on Jahanara's later life, the Mughal Emnpire, a family tree, glossary, and pictures. Can't wait for Eleanor-Crown Jewel of Aquitaine!

Even though this book is said to have never been published, I finally found a copy of it.This is the story of the young Indian girl named Weetamoo. She is the daughter of the chief of the Pocasset Indians, who once lived in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In her new diary, Weetamoo tells of her Indian life, the colonies that are now threatening her land, and the brewing war between the colonists and the Indians, that would soon become known as King Philip's War, in which Weetamoo would drown in as she tried to escape when she was an adult. Other than the dark subjects of this story, you are also introduced to Indian life. The rituals that the young girls take, the food,clothing, houses, all of the pieces of survival are seen here but in a different kind of way. While the other Royal Diaries' princesses live in big luxurious mansions and chateaus and palaces, Weetamoo lives in a small tribe of long houses and other Indian homes. I thought this book was exceptionally good. It lives up to the best of the Royal Diaries-it shows Weetamoo's true character, her teenage life, how she used her head to deal with things, and how she is to deal with her father's preparations for her to marry. Weetamoo had quite a life , but she enjoyed it. I would say anyone who is a true fan of the Royal Diaries should read this, don't just buy it to complete your collection, which I have all 12 now(and I'm now awaiting Jahanara). the first few pages are boring and there are some dull moments every now and then, but, hey, maybe her life really was dull and boring, that's what the Royal Diaries are about-bringing boring princesses to life. This book includes an epilogue, a historical note, pictures, and a family tree, all in the back.

Also recommended-all of the Royal Diaries books(except for Cleopatra, which is too political, Nzingha, which you can finish in an hour it's so short, and Sondok, which was too dull and most of it was made up anyway), the Young Royals series, the Dear America series, and any book on Pocahontas