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RALEIGH’S PAGE

Name: RALEIGH’S PAGE
Author: Alan Armstrong
ISBN: 978-0-375-83319-9

by Alan Armstrong & illustrated by Tim Jessell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 25, 2007

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Young Andrew’s mind’s been set afire by his teacher’s enthusiasm for the opportunities offered by America, so when his father finds him a position as page to Sir Walter Raleigh, he dares to hope for overseas excitement. Once ensconced in Raleigh’s household, he quickly becomes caught up in the web of intrigue that is Queen Elizabeth’s court. When events take Andrew, his teacher and Raleigh’s navigator to Virginia, they find themselves at the mercy of both insufficient provisions and the military captain of the enterprise, whose determination to find gold leads to the first in a tragic history of conflicts with the Native Americans. The monumental research that provides the foundation for this tale is woven effortlessly into the account of Andrew’s coming-of-age, the brutality and the prejudices of the times always evident. Armstrong walks a fine line between accurately representing the beliefs and sensibilities of 16th-century Englishmen and accommodating modern social attitudes, a feat he accomplishes neatly, between Andrew’s native teenage sense of justice and the introduction of Sky, Andrew’s Native-American friend. It’s an absorbing historical adventure from an emerging master. (Fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2007

ISBN: 978-0-375-83319-9

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2007

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
RACING THE MOON
by Alan Armstrong & illustrated by Tim Jessell

- BOOK REVIEW
LOOKING FOR MARCO POLO
by Alan Armstrong and illustrated by Tim Jessell

- BOOK REVIEW
WHITTINGTON
by Alan Armstrong & illustrated by S.D. Schindler

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THE SCHOOL FOR THIEVES

From the School for Thieves series , Vol. 1

by Peter Burns ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 26, 2025

A thrilling first installment in an adventurous new series.

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An orphaned street urchin is recruited into an elite school for thieves.

In an alternate world where France is the dominant world power, 13-year-old Tom Morgan has had to scrimp, starve, and steal on the streets of London to survive. Born into a workhouse, he doesn’t know anything about his father, while his mother may have been from North Africa. One thing he does know is the sort of cruelty that awaits the poor who are sent to the workhouse, and he’s determined not to go back. But when their camp is raided and his friends are captured by workhouse agents, the only thing Tom can think of is how to get them out. Enter the Corsair, a cunning and mysterious man with a proposition: He wants to recruit Tom into Beaufort’s School for Deceptive Arts. From nabbing treasures to forging identity papers, Beaufort’s promises to teach Tom everything he needs to know to become a Shadow Thief and a member of the Shadow League, the secret global organization that helps keep the world’s political power in balance. But Beaufort’s has its own rules and secrets, and if Tom is to survive long enough to help his friends, he’ll need to figure them out quickly. Clever and gripping, this fast-paced boarding school story will appeal to fans of the Mysterious Benedict Society and Spy School series.

A thrilling first installment in an adventurous new series. (Adventure. 10-14)