Gr 4-8-In this addition to the series of fictional diaries focusing on royalty by Kathryn Lasky (Scholastic, 1999), Elizabeth, the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, shares her day-to-day life from the ages of 11 to 14. She feels herself the "forgotten" or "invisible" princess, being exiled from court life to a country estate due to an unfortunate turn of phrase which earns her father's displeasure. She swings from melancholy to exhilaration as she is finally allowed back at court. Her longing for her father's approval, along with the typical pastimes of an upper-class child in mid-16th century England and her friendships with Robin Dudley and Lady Jane Gray are Elizabeth's main concerns. Her father, his many wives, including the current Queen, Catherine Parr, and other members of the Tudor household are superficially developed. History is conveyed, accurately for the most part, in an entertaining fashion. Narrator Josephine Bailey's light British accent is perfect for a young Elizabeth's first person point-of-view set in diary format. A good choice for libraries where the series is popular.-Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

"Josephine Bailey reads with a haughty confidence. Her well-enunciated accent sounds royal as she mixes palace intrigue with preteen concerns of school and friends." ---AudioFile

The Royal Diaries Series, through fictional diaries of young royals, makes history accessible to older elementary school students. In 1544, when Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, is 11, she receives a diary and begins recording her life and emotions amid palace intrigue and her uncertain position as third heir to the throne. She is the forgotten princess, often exiled by her father, whose love she yearns to win. Josephine Bailey reads with a haughty confidence. Her well-enunciated accent sounds royal as she mixes palace intrigue with preteen concerns of school and friends. The epilogue gives a useful chronology of the Tudor Age in England. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine