About This Book
Reach for this book when your middle schooler is navigating the friction between their true self and the roles they are expected to play in public. It is an ideal choice for a child who feels like a bit of an outsider or who enjoys unravelling complex social hierarchies and high stakes mysteries. Set in the vibrant, gritty world of Elizabethan London, the story follows two young apprentices in Shakespeare's theater company as they stumble into a dangerous conspiracy involving the Royal Court. While the plot is a fast paced historical mystery, the heart of the book explores loyalty and the burden of secrets. It is age appropriate for 10 to 14 year olds, offering a sophisticated vocabulary and rich historical context without being overly graphic. Parents will appreciate how it humanizes historical figures and models a deep, protective friendship between two boys who must rely on their wits to survive a world where appearances are rarely what they seem.
