Synopses & Reviews
Marie van Goethem, a fourteen-year-old ballet dancer in the famed Paris Opand#233;ra, has led a life of hardship and poverty. For her, dancing is the only joy to counter the pain inflicted by hunger, her mother's drinking, and her selfish older sister. But when famed artist Edgar Degas demands Marie's presence in his studio, it appears that her life will be transformed: He will pay her to pose for a new sculpture, and he promises to make her a star.
As Marie patiently stands before Mr. Degas each week, she dreams about supporting her family without being corrupted like most young dancers. She dreams about a life as a ballerina on the stage of the Opand#233;ra. And she dreams about being with her true love.
In this deeply moving, historically based account, Carolyn Meyer examines the life of the model for Edgar Degas's most famous sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.
Includes an author's note.
Review
“A skillful examination of how individual identity is determined by cultural and social structures, and of what happens when these are drastically altered.”—
Kirkus Reviews
"The captivating characters are well drawn. . . . a fascinating look at the Comanche and their captives and will be enjoyed by teens who like historical fiction and/or are interested in Native Americans and the West." —SLJ
Review
"High drama. . . . The elements of Elizabeth's life remain irresistible."--
Booklist"Gripping."--School Library Journal
Review
[set star] "Meyer's mixture of contemporary voices, engrossing histories and vibrant heritages is enlightening."--Publishers Weekly (starred) "Meyer's writing style is accessible and engaging, making this a good read or an easy curriculum connection to the multicultural mainstream."--Booklist
Review
Review
"Riveting."-Publishers Weekly
"Engrossing emotional intensity."-Kirkus Reviews (pointer review)
"Meyer writes powerfully and sympathetically, mixing the grim details of life in the 1500s with glamorous, fascinating descriptions of life in the court of Henry VIII."-Booklist
"This interesting and well-researched fictional biography brings a bit of history vividly and compellingly to life."-VOYA
Review
"Mesmerizing . . . Heart-wrenching and enlightening, this gritty story celebrates artistic accomplishment even as it reveals the human suffering often required to achieve it."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
"Fans of Jane Austenand#8211;style prose will be rewarded with an utterly authentic chronicle of thwarted romance and grueling exploration. . . . Those already interested in Darwinism will find his early inklings of natural selection and doubts about religion fascinating; there are plenty of vivid historical details that will keep most other readers entertained as well."--Booklist and#160; "Told from Charleyand#8217;s point of view, this creative biography offers a fresh perspective on a man whose work the world has celebrated, albeit one who most readers know very little of as a person. . . . both inspires and informs its readers."--Children's Literature
Review
"Those who like biography and historical fiction will enjoy this story that breathes life into the history of the Tudors."--
VOYA"Meyer seamlessly provides details about customs and beliefs in bringing history to life."--School Library Journal
"Creates a vivid portrayal of Catherine . . . [this] account enlarges the intricate tapestry of Meyers' Young Royals series."--Booklist
Review
"This captivating tale of the rise of this Italian merchant family is seldom portrayed, and it plays out delightfully in this well-written novel."--
School Library Journaland#160;"A sympathetic, engrossing portrait of a noble girl who, later in life, became a feared queen. . . . With meticulous historical detail, sensitive characterizations, and Catherine's strong narration, Meyer's memorable story of a fascinating young woman who relies on her intelligence, rather than her beauty, will hit home with many teens."--
BooklistReview
"Meyer's writing style is accessible and engaging, making this a good read or an easy curriculum connection to the multicultural mainstream."--Booklist
Review
"[Readers] will be quickly absorbed by Meyer's vividly imagined portrayal of a courageous, long-suffering wife."--Booklist
Synopsis
At the age of nine, Cynthia Ann Parker was captured in an Indian raid and taken to
live as a slave with the Comanche. Twenty-four years later, she is the wife of a chief
and the mother of a young warrior destined to become the great chief Quanah Parker.
But in 1861, Parker and her infant daughter are recaptured and returned against their
will to a white settlement. This moving story is a riveting examination of the conflicts
between Native Americans and white settlers.
Synopsis
In this latest installment of her acclaimed Young Royals series, Carolyn Meyer reveals the dizzying rise and horrific downfall of the last queen of France. From the moment she was betrothed to the dauphin of France at age fourteen, perfection was demanded of Marie-Antoinette. Desperate for affection and subjected to constant scrutiny, this spirited young woman cant help but want to let loose with elaborate parties, scandalous fashions, and even a forbidden love affair. Meanwhile, the peasants of France are suffering from increasing poverty and becoming outraged. They want to make the queen pay for her reckless extravagance—with her life.
Includes historical notes, an authors note, and bibliography
Synopsis
Though born without great beauty, wealth, or title, Anne Boleyn blossomed into a captivating woman. She used her wiles to win the heart of England's most powerful man, King Henry VIII, and persuade him to defy everyone--including his own wife--to make her his new queen. But Anne's ambition was her fatal flaw. This is the true story of the girl everyone loved to hate.
Carolyn Meyer's engrossing third novel in the award-winning Young Royals series tells Anne's fascinating story in her own voice--from her life as an awkward girl to the dramatic moments before her death.
Synopsis
From a master of historical fiction Carolyn Meyer comes the moving tale, based on a true story, of a white woman who lived her life among the Comanche Indians, married the chief, and in 1861 was captured along with her daughter and returned against her will to a white settlement.
Synopsis
After the death of her father, King Henry VIII, in 1547, thirteen-year-old Elizabeth must endure the political intrigues and dangers of the reigns of her half brother Edward and her half sister Mary before finally becoming Queen of England eleven years later.
Synopsis
Elizabeth Tudor's teenage years are hardly those of a fairy-tale princess. Her father has beheaded her mother; her jealous half sister has her locked away in the Tower of London; and her only love has betrayed her in his own quest for the throne.
Told in the voice of the young Elizabeth and ending when she is crowned queen, this is the second novel in the exciting Young Royals series.
Synopsis
This book of short stories explores how New Mexico's fascinating history and geography connect people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Synopsis
The seventh-grade class at Rio Grande Middle School in Albuquerque is a unique group. Coming from schools all over the city, the students are facing new challenges and wondering how they'll fit in. When they are asked to raise money for the school, the kids decide to write and sell a book. They will all contribute something about their heritage that is personal and important. Filled with stories, traditions, and recipes, the book is a big success. Best of all, the kids learn something--about themselves and about one another.
Includes a new author's note and a glossary.Synopsis
She risked everything to become queen
Though born without great beauty, wealth, or title, Anne Boleyn blossomed into a captivating woman. She used her wiles to win the heart of Englands most powerful man, King Henry VIII, and to persuade him to defy everyoneincluding his own wifeto make her his new queen. But Annes ambition proved to be her fatal flaw.
Synopsis
The story of Mary Tudor's childhood is a classic fairy tale: A princess who is to
inherit the throne of England is separated from her mother; abused by an evil
stepmother who has enchanted her father; stripped of her title; and forced to
care for her baby stepsister, who inherits Mary's rights to the throne. Believe it
or not, it's all true.
Told in the voice of the young Mary, this novel explores the history and intrigue
of the dramatic rule of Henry VIII, his outrageous affair with and marriage to the
bewitching Anne Boleyn, and the consequences of that relationship for his
firstborn daughter. Carolyn Meyer has written a compassionate historical novel about love and loss, jealousy and fear--and a girl's struggle with forces far
beyond her control.
Synopsis
The life, dreams, and struggles of the fourteen-year-old dancer who posed for Degas's most famous sculpture
Synopsis
Young Charley Darwin hated schooland#151;he much preferred to be outside studying birdsand#8217; eggs, feathers, and insects. And so, at the age of twenty-one, he boarded a ship called HMS Beagle and spent five thrilling but dangerous years sailing around the world, studying plant and animal life that was beyond anything he could have imagined.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Historical novelist Carolyn Meyer tells the story of his unconventional adventures of the author of the legendary book The Origin of Species. Itand#8217;s the story of a restless childhood, unrequited teenage love, and a passion for studying nature that was so great, Darwin would sacrifice everything to pursue it.
Synopsis
Will Catherine ever become queen?
England anxiously awaits Prince Arthurand#8217;s betrothedand#151;the Spanish princess who will be its future queen. But when Arthur dies not long after the wedding, Catherine of Aragonand#8217;s fate becomes uncertain. Will the king and Catherineand#8217;s parents arrange a marriage with Arthurand#8217;s brother, Henry, or will she return to Spain a widow? Through all this turmoil, the young princessand#8217;s resolve remains unshaken: She will one day be Englandand#8217;s queen . . . no matter how long it takes.
Synopsis
Young Catherine de' Medici is the sole heiress to the entire fortune of the wealthy Medici family. But her life is far from luxurious. After a childhood spent locked away behind the walls of a convent, she joins the household of the pope, where at last she can be united with her true love. But, all too soon, that love is replaced with an engagement to a boy who is cold and aloof. It soon becomes clear that Catherine will need all the cunning she can muster to command the respect she deserves as one of France's most powerful queens. Includes a family tree.
Synopsis
A moving tale of the struggle to preserve a community
Synopsis
Young Rose Lee Jefferson is shocked to learn that the white residents of Dillon, Texas, want to raze the cityand#8217;s black enclave, Freedomtown, and build a park in its place. Rose Lee and the other residents of Freedomtown cannot bear the thought of losing their homes. But fighting the cityand#8217;s plans could be costlyand#8212;or even life threatening. Will the families of Freedomtown be able to save their thriving community? and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
Includes a reader's guide.Synopsis
The passion and romance between the worldand#8217;s most famous playwright and the woman who risked everything to be with him
Synopsis
Poor Anne Hathaway is still living with her callous stepmother, and her prospects for marriage and a home of her own are becoming grim. However, she canand#8217;t seem to get charismatic Will Shakespeare out of her mind--even though he is much too young for her. But then one day Will impulsively kisses his childhood friend Anne, changing the course of their lives forever.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
Synopsis
Jews dont eat meat from a pig. Amish dont wear buttons. But two boys from extremely different cultures discover how similar they really are. “The story is fascinating as an in-depth examination of two disparate cultures that--the boys discover--share many of the commonalities of the human experience; its also a great coming-of-age novel, inhabited by people who may dress and speak differently from many readers but whose actions are entirely understandable.”--
Kirkus ReviewsSynopsis
Pazit Trujillo begins her freshman year at Jericho High School and quickly realizes that people in this small suburban town arent used to Jewish girls with strange names. Despite the whispers and stares, Pazit wants to fit in and is determined to join the schools marching band. But when she learns they will be playing hymns and marching in the formation of a cross, she objects. Only one person in the town, drummer Billy Harper, stands up for her, and in the end both Billy and Pazit learn something about friendship and the importance of exercising ones rights.
Synopsis
Readers will be fascinated by Carolyn Meyers personal view of Japan based on the formal interviews she was granted, the events and ceremonies she observed, and her own insights on her journey through Japan.
Synopsis
“The author provides good historical background, which makes the origins of the troubles clear, and is sensitive to the ordinary lives of those who must live with the threat of violence.”--
The Horn Book Bibliography; index; maps.
About the Author
Carolyn Meyer is the acclaimed author of more than fifty books for young people. Her many award-winning novels include Mary, Bloody Mary, an ABA Pick of the Lists, an NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, a New York Times bestseller; White Lilacs, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, an NYPL Best Book for the Teen Age, and an IRA Young Adults' Choice; and Marie, Dancing, a BookSense Pick.&nb