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
"Through a fresh, modern voice, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, is presented as a fascinating, headstrong, multidimensional woman. . . . The scheming and rivalries of Scotland are covered in such a way that the novel makes complicated history accessible and intriguing."—SLJ "Mary is a relatable, sympathetic protagonist, and though she has many responsibilities and expectations the average teen reader doesn't, she still deals with plenty of common adolescent problems: parental expectations, crushes and the confusion they can lead to, a changing dynamic between herself and her childhood friends."--teenreads.com Praise for Carolyn Meyer's Young Royals books: "High drama . . . irresistible."—Booklist "Riveting."—Publishers Weekly "Masterful."—VOYA "Captivating."—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
"[Readers] will be quickly absorbed by Meyer's vividly imagined portrayal of a courageous, long-suffering wife."--Booklist
Synopsis
The latest installment in the acclaimed Young Royals series by a master of historical fiction tells the story of the powerful and passionate Mary Queen of Scots, who was widowed at eighteen, stripped of her throne, and set adrift, but never gave up her brutal campaign to regain her sovereignty.
Synopsis
The scandalous and tragic life of Mary, Queen of Scots. Read her incredible story before seeing the major motion picture starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie
Mary Stuart was just five years old when she was sent to France to be raised alongside her future husband. But when the frail young king dies, eighteen-year-old Mary is stripped of her title as Queen of France and set adrift in the harsh world, alone.Determined to reign over what is rightfully hers, Mary returns to Scotland. Hoping that a husband will help her secure the coveted English throne, she marries again, but the love and security she longs for elude her. Instead, the fiery young queen finds herself embroiled in a murder scandal that could cost her the crown. And her attempts to bargain with her formidable "sister queen," Elizabeth I of England, could cost her her very life.
Synopsis
Mary Stuart was just five years old when she was sent to France to be raised alongside her future husband. But when the frail young king dies, eighteen-year-old Mary is stripped of her title as Queen of France and set adrift in the harsh world, alone.Determined to reign over what is rightfully hers, Mary returns to Scotland. Hoping that a husband will help her secure the coveted English throne, she marries again, but the love and security she longs for elude her. Instead, the fiery young queen finds herself embroiled in a murder scandal that could cost her the crown. And her attempts to bargain with her formidable “sister queen,” Elizabeth I of England, could cost her her very life.
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
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;
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; <>