Status
Checked out
Due 2024-04-20
Collection
Publication
Candlewick (2021), 256 pages
Description
Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. HTML: From two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall comes a fantastical meditation on fate, love, and the power of words to spell the world. We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home. In a time of war, a mysterious child appears at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Gentle Brother Edik finds the girl, Beatryce, curled in a stall, wracked with fever, coated in dirt and blood, and holding fast to the ear of Answelica the goat. As the monk nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers her dangerous secret, one that imperils them allâ??for the king of the land seeks just such a girl, and Brother Edik, who penned the prophecy himself, knows why. And so it is that a girl with a head full of storiesâ??powerful tales-within-the-tale of queens and kings, mermaids and wolvesâ??ventures into a dark wood in search of the castle of one who wishes her dead. But Beatryce knows that, should she lose her way, those who love herâ??a wild-eyed monk, a man who had once been king, a boy with a terrible sword, and a goat with a head as hard as stoneâ??will never give up searching for her, and to know this is to know everything. With its timeless themes, unforgettable cast, and magical medieval setting, Kate DiCamillo's lyrical tale, paired with resonant black-and-white illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall, is a true collaboration betwee… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Whisper1
This author is one of my favorites. In the story, the setting begins with a monk in a monastery called The Chronicles of Sorrowing. There is a strong willed goat who loves to bite, hard! When Brother Edik finds a small little girl curled around the goat named Answelica, he brings her inside.
The
As the story develops, a young boy Jack Dory joins the team as together their mission is to find the castle and right the wrongs that occurred to so many helpless people.
The goat, Brother Edik, Beatrice and Jack Dory travel through the deep, dark woods.
While I avidly read the works of DiCamillo, and embraced every one of her previous books, this one fell short. I struggled to finish it. Somehow the magic seemed forced. One book of many will not stop me from reading her next books.
Three Stars.
The
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child, Beatryce does not know how she got to the monastery, nor does she remember her history. The King's men are looking for her to kill her. There is an old prophecy that tells of a child who will unseat the King.As the story develops, a young boy Jack Dory joins the team as together their mission is to find the castle and right the wrongs that occurred to so many helpless people.
The goat, Brother Edik, Beatrice and Jack Dory travel through the deep, dark woods.
While I avidly read the works of DiCamillo, and embraced every one of her previous books, this one fell short. I struggled to finish it. Somehow the magic seemed forced. One book of many will not stop me from reading her next books.
Three Stars.
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LibraryThing member True54Blue
I wasn't enthralled with the opening chapter introducing Answelica the goat but was soon enjoying the story. This is a sweet book. Although it is loaded with action, tragedy and fearful situations there is never a question that it will all work out in the end. Perhaps it's the prophecy that you
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know must come true, perhaps it's the goat who will protect Beatryce through everything, perhaps it's just the genre. I was left wondering how on earth Beatryce was kidnapped while accompanied by Answelica. Are we to presume the goat knew this must happen to fulfill the prophecy and therefore did not protect her? It seemed very out of character from all we know of her otherwise. I also really enjoyed the artwork. Sophie Blackall well matched the tone of the story with her drawings. Show Less
LibraryThing member SJGirl
If you enjoy an ornery animal with a heart of gold, Answelica is the goat for you.
The Beatryce Prophecy has a medieval feel although the book makes a point of being non-commital when it comes to time period.
That medieval feel is underscored by a folklore style to the narrative that suits
All the characters in Beatryce’s crew, including Beatryce, were well-crafted given compelling backstories and satisfying arcs, though Answelica the goat holds a particularly special place in my heart. Answelica’s the chief source of humor in the book with her cantankerous personality but the comically vicious Answelica also exudes warmth and devotion when it comes to Beatryce, I was charmed every single time she let Beatryce take comfort in holding her ear.
I received this ARC through a giveaway.
The Beatryce Prophecy has a medieval feel although the book makes a point of being non-commital when it comes to time period.
That medieval feel is underscored by a folklore style to the narrative that suits
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Beatryce’s story yet at the same time there was something about the way it’s told that felt a bit distant or something. Not that I didn’t feel for Beatryce and her pal Jack especially in light of the tragedies they’ve experienced and the bonds between the characters were evident, too, it just seemed like there was a slightly removed quality which isn’t a bad thing it’s just maybe a little less emotional than it may have been if it were written in another style. All the characters in Beatryce’s crew, including Beatryce, were well-crafted given compelling backstories and satisfying arcs, though Answelica the goat holds a particularly special place in my heart. Answelica’s the chief source of humor in the book with her cantankerous personality but the comically vicious Answelica also exudes warmth and devotion when it comes to Beatryce, I was charmed every single time she let Beatryce take comfort in holding her ear.
I received this ARC through a giveaway.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
What can change the world? The author poses this question at the end of this enchanting fable. The answer she offers is twofold: love, and stories, and she provides plenty of heartwarming examples of each, interspersed with occasional black-and-white illustrations by the incomparable Sophie
The author spins a story that takes place in that medieval world of fairy tales - familiar and yet ahistorical - in which there are princesses and kings and evil beings out to destroy any goodness in the world.
It begins with a goat, Answelica, who lives at a monastery called the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Brother Edik, scorned for his one wandering eye, is astounded one day to find the usually ornery Answelica in the barn cuddled up with a sick little girl. The girl has lost her memory; she only remembers that she is called Beatryce. Edik marvels that the ill-tempered Answelica is doting and caring where Beatryce is concerned, and Edik soon becomes devoted to her as well.
In alternate fonts, we learn that the King and his scheming counselor are looking for Beatryce, because she is spoken of in the prophecies. Specifically, it is foretold: “There will one day come a girl child who will unseat a king and bring about a great change.”
Back at the monastery, Brother Edik discovered that Beatryce could read and write - skills forbidden to females! The first thing she wrote for the monks was “We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.” Father Caddis, fearing the King’s wrath, told Brother Edik that Beatryce must leave as soon as she is healthy enough to do so. Because both Answelica and Edik loved Beatryce deeply, they would not let her leave alone, and went after her.
We then meet Jack Dory, an orphan whose parents were murdered by a robber in the woods. He was brought up for a while by a stranger, Granny Bibspeak, who came to love Jack with all her heart. After only four years, however, she died, when Jack was twelve. But by then Jack had learned how to take care of himself, and most importantly, that there could be love even after one thought all love was gone.
Jack met Beatryce on a day when “bees hummed. The grass was high and the sky was very blue, blue enough to break your heart in two.” Jack recognized that color as “the blue of unexpected happenings.” Jack asked Beatryce to teach him to read and write. As he watched her write letters, “he felt as if each letter were a door pushed open inside of him, a door that led to a lighted room.”
The group of Beatryce, Jack, Brother Edik, and Answelica then encountered an old man named Cannoc, who joined them. Beatryce eventually remembered what happened to her, and announced she had to go confront the King. All of the group insisted on accompanying her on the journey. As Brother Edik recorded, Beatryce was “a girl who can read and write, a child who has caused me (and also a goat named Answelica) to believe in love and tenderness and some greater good.”
One night Beatryce was captured by a henchman of the King, and she was imprisoned at the castle. The group went after her with the hope of rescuing her. Beatryce knew she was beloved by them, and took solace from the certainty that they would find her: “What is it to know that people will come searching for you? Everything. We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.”
Evaluation: This magical lyrical story will capture the hearts of all who read it, whether the middle grade audience for whom it is intended, or the adults who come upon it and will cherish it as well. Like The Little Prince, this is a book that has multiple layers of appeal along with timeless and ageless themes. This will make a great gift for someone you love. Highly recommended!
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Blackall.The author spins a story that takes place in that medieval world of fairy tales - familiar and yet ahistorical - in which there are princesses and kings and evil beings out to destroy any goodness in the world.
It begins with a goat, Answelica, who lives at a monastery called the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Brother Edik, scorned for his one wandering eye, is astounded one day to find the usually ornery Answelica in the barn cuddled up with a sick little girl. The girl has lost her memory; she only remembers that she is called Beatryce. Edik marvels that the ill-tempered Answelica is doting and caring where Beatryce is concerned, and Edik soon becomes devoted to her as well.
In alternate fonts, we learn that the King and his scheming counselor are looking for Beatryce, because she is spoken of in the prophecies. Specifically, it is foretold: “There will one day come a girl child who will unseat a king and bring about a great change.”
Back at the monastery, Brother Edik discovered that Beatryce could read and write - skills forbidden to females! The first thing she wrote for the monks was “We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.” Father Caddis, fearing the King’s wrath, told Brother Edik that Beatryce must leave as soon as she is healthy enough to do so. Because both Answelica and Edik loved Beatryce deeply, they would not let her leave alone, and went after her.
We then meet Jack Dory, an orphan whose parents were murdered by a robber in the woods. He was brought up for a while by a stranger, Granny Bibspeak, who came to love Jack with all her heart. After only four years, however, she died, when Jack was twelve. But by then Jack had learned how to take care of himself, and most importantly, that there could be love even after one thought all love was gone.
Jack met Beatryce on a day when “bees hummed. The grass was high and the sky was very blue, blue enough to break your heart in two.” Jack recognized that color as “the blue of unexpected happenings.” Jack asked Beatryce to teach him to read and write. As he watched her write letters, “he felt as if each letter were a door pushed open inside of him, a door that led to a lighted room.”
The group of Beatryce, Jack, Brother Edik, and Answelica then encountered an old man named Cannoc, who joined them. Beatryce eventually remembered what happened to her, and announced she had to go confront the King. All of the group insisted on accompanying her on the journey. As Brother Edik recorded, Beatryce was “a girl who can read and write, a child who has caused me (and also a goat named Answelica) to believe in love and tenderness and some greater good.”
One night Beatryce was captured by a henchman of the King, and she was imprisoned at the castle. The group went after her with the hope of rescuing her. Beatryce knew she was beloved by them, and took solace from the certainty that they would find her: “What is it to know that people will come searching for you? Everything. We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.”
Evaluation: This magical lyrical story will capture the hearts of all who read it, whether the middle grade audience for whom it is intended, or the adults who come upon it and will cherish it as well. Like The Little Prince, this is a book that has multiple layers of appeal along with timeless and ageless themes. This will make a great gift for someone you love. Highly recommended!
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LibraryThing member JulieStielstra
I was introduced to Kate DiCamillo with Because of Winn-Dixie, followed by Tale of Despereaux, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (probably my favorite), and her lovely "Raymie Nightingale trilogy." So I'm a fan. I have a cat named Beatrice, a decades-long fascination with the medieval period
It is sweet. It is charming. I would cheerfully recommend it to any school or public library or upper-elementary to middle grade reader. A brave, resourceful, imaginative heroine; an uncontrollable goat for comic relief, a plucky orphan boy, a lady in peril, a kindhearted "holy fool," and even a mermaid. All very good ingredients for a fairy tale. There is some wonderful writing - the dark angel who visits the dying soldier is brilliant and haunting. But (you knew there was a "but," didn't you?) somehow they don't seem to quite jell into a compelling story, though DiCamillo tries valiantly. The repeated "inspirational" mottoes and principles lie a bit too heavy: "We shall all, in the end, find our way home"; the evil prohibition on women and girls reading and writing (though elsewhere it appears that almost no one else is allowed to either). Significant conflicts are resolved just a bit too easily; characters are simplistic to the point of flatness (okay, I grant you that fairy-tale characters usually are - but not usually in DiCamillo's hands). We know virtually nothing about Beatryce's mother, so their separation and reunion don't resonate as they should. There is nothing wrong with a sweet tale of courage, loyalty, and the triumphant power of love and stories, and DiCamillo does them better than most. It's good, it's fun, but it's not her best.
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and nearly lifelong love for fairy tales. So I thank Watermark Books (Wichita, KS) for joining the project to offer pre-orders of *signed* copies, and I settled down happily to mine last night.It is sweet. It is charming. I would cheerfully recommend it to any school or public library or upper-elementary to middle grade reader. A brave, resourceful, imaginative heroine; an uncontrollable goat for comic relief, a plucky orphan boy, a lady in peril, a kindhearted "holy fool," and even a mermaid. All very good ingredients for a fairy tale. There is some wonderful writing - the dark angel who visits the dying soldier is brilliant and haunting. But (you knew there was a "but," didn't you?) somehow they don't seem to quite jell into a compelling story, though DiCamillo tries valiantly. The repeated "inspirational" mottoes and principles lie a bit too heavy: "We shall all, in the end, find our way home"; the evil prohibition on women and girls reading and writing (though elsewhere it appears that almost no one else is allowed to either). Significant conflicts are resolved just a bit too easily; characters are simplistic to the point of flatness (okay, I grant you that fairy-tale characters usually are - but not usually in DiCamillo's hands). We know virtually nothing about Beatryce's mother, so their separation and reunion don't resonate as they should. There is nothing wrong with a sweet tale of courage, loyalty, and the triumphant power of love and stories, and DiCamillo does them better than most. It's good, it's fun, but it's not her best.
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LibraryThing member bookwren
Another wonderful, character-driven story by Kate DiCamillo. I fell in love with determined Beatryce, Answelica the goat, hard-headed, soft-eared, loyal, and Brother Edik of the wobbly eye, who finds courage through love, and Jack Dory, boon companion. I relished reading their thoughts, feelings,
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and adventures. Sophie Blackall's illustrations fit the story well and the book's design is beautiful with gold flower and seahorse endpapers. The tale within the tale of the mermaid and the seahorses is a critical part of the overall story. Show Less
LibraryThing member MaowangVater
Answelica the goat is the terror of the monks of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Her sharp teeth have left their mark in many of the brothers, and many have been sent flying through the air after been butted by her strong hard head. So, one cold morning when Brother Edik finds a small
In simple direct prose and delicate pencil drawings DiCamillo and Blackwell have created a marvelous fable of fear and hope that has been bound together in an excellently designed book. Kudos to all involved in the production of this gem.
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feverish child with bloody feet in Answelica stall, asleep while hanging on to the demon goat’s ear, he must overcome his fear of the beast that butted him across the field the day before. He picks the child up and realizes that she is a girl with a high fever and needs to be nursed back to health. But when she recovers, the girl reveals to him two dangerous secrets. She can read and she can write. It is against the King’s law for a girl to read. Keeping her in the monastery so close to the King’s castle will endanger the whole order. In simple direct prose and delicate pencil drawings DiCamillo and Blackwell have created a marvelous fable of fear and hope that has been bound together in an excellently designed book. Kudos to all involved in the production of this gem.
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LibraryThing member brangwinn
Jenna Bush Hager is right. This is a book that will be loved by generation after generation, just like Charlotte’s Web. I foresee young girls wanting to shave their heads, find a goat, and dress as a monk for Favorite Book Character Day at school. What makes this book special is the bond of
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friendship between the people Beatryce meets as she and her comrades move to make the Beatryce Prophecy come true. Beatryce lost her brothers, and her mother taken captive by a king who usurped the throne. Its been told that a young girl will become queen and bring much change. Beatryce is this girl and she courageously leads her friends directly to the king to fulfill the prophecy. Females aren’t supposed to read. There’s a law against it. In fact, the only ones who were allowed to read were the clergy and the king. But Beatryce’s mother was wise and decided beatryce should read. Not only does Beatryce change the course of the country’s leadership, she is a strong advocate of reading and equality. And even the smelly old goat becomes a hero in this book. Remember Templeton in Charlotte’s Web? You’ll come to love smelly, mean-temepered goats as much as you love rats. Buy this book for anyone who loves a beautiful story or who loves Kate DiCamillo. Show Less
LibraryThing member mchwest
What a fabulous children's book. I read it before sending it to 3 of my family members homes for Christmas. A great read for kids 8-12, maybe a bit involved for younger, but a classic to keep around.
LibraryThing member bibliothecarivs
I received an ARC through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.
I like stories with strong female leads. I like medieval (or, in this case, pseudo-medieval) settings. Beatrice is an important name in our family. Several friends read this story before me and loved it. For all those reasons I wanted
I admit that I am not the target audience for this book since I am an adult man. I still plan to give a copy to our daughter who will, I hope, enjoy it.
I like stories with strong female leads. I like medieval (or, in this case, pseudo-medieval) settings. Beatrice is an important name in our family. Several friends read this story before me and loved it. For all those reasons I wanted
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to read this book and expected to enjoy it but it was just middling for me. Blackall's illustrations were good.I admit that I am not the target audience for this book since I am an adult man. I still plan to give a copy to our daughter who will, I hope, enjoy it.
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LibraryThing member librarian1204
Kate DiCamillo has left her trilogy of the Florida girls, (Raymie, Louisiana and Beverly to write a beautiful, lyrically enchanted tale of love and loss and stories.
Beatryce is found by a wild eyed monk, Edik next to a goat, Answelica, that terrorizes the Monastery and all within. The goat is
Edik finds that Beatryce can read and write. Only royals and religious orders are allowed to learn to read and write and never girls or women.
There is much more to learn about as Beatryce encounters Jack Dory and Cannoc., both very unique characters. Together Beatryce, Edik, Cannoc and this wonderful goat go to the king to right the wrongs, tell the story and claim the prophecy.
There is so much wisdom in this story, such beauty in the words and thought.
The black and white illustrations by Sophie Blackwell are the perfect compliment to the book. Pictured just as you imagined as you read.
I will share this book with librarians and teachers and most especially with children. What a Joy!
Read as an ARC from LibraryThing. Thank you.
Beatryce is found by a wild eyed monk, Edik next to a goat, Answelica, that terrorizes the Monastery and all within. The goat is
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guarding the girl and because of the goat she lives. Edik finds that Beatryce can read and write. Only royals and religious orders are allowed to learn to read and write and never girls or women.
There is much more to learn about as Beatryce encounters Jack Dory and Cannoc., both very unique characters. Together Beatryce, Edik, Cannoc and this wonderful goat go to the king to right the wrongs, tell the story and claim the prophecy.
There is so much wisdom in this story, such beauty in the words and thought.
The black and white illustrations by Sophie Blackwell are the perfect compliment to the book. Pictured just as you imagined as you read.
I will share this book with librarians and teachers and most especially with children. What a Joy!
Read as an ARC from LibraryThing. Thank you.
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LibraryThing member Krisbee
A story about the dangers of power, the importance of literacy and the abuses that can happen the two collide. Written for middle grades but everyone will enjoy.
LibraryThing member sgrame
One day, Brother Edik finds a bloody, dirty girl crying in the goat's stable at the monastery who doesn't remember anything about her past, besides her first name. This is her story, of her finding of friends and a trustworthy goat, making up wonderful stories, and finding the courage within
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herself to fulfill a prophecy in her kingdom. With it's 245 pages but a little larger print and straight forward contents, this book has could be a good book discussion book for grades 3-4. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jesslaw
This was a wonderful read! While I don’t always enjoy DiCamillo’s writing, this one was an immediate hit. The charming, light story of a girl dressed as a monk and her goat was sweet and innocent, but had so much more lying just under the surface, as with all of DiCamillo’s works. Light and
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dark, girl and king, boy and robber, all these conflicts were very real and meaningfully written. I loved that it was written in a lyrical form, which added an ancient, thoughtful air to the book. The loyalty that the characters develop for Beatryce is lovely to watch unfold, and the story of the goat’s actions adds a mirth and a smile to the book that would be lacking. Brother Edik, and all the characters come to grips with their fears and enemies, in a simply written, powerful way that inspires the reader to apply the same lessons to their life. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, loved the formatting, and the characters felt like I might meet them on the street sometime! A Beautiful Treatice on Beauty. Show Less
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
At the monastery, Brother Edik finds a girl in the goat pen, dirty, crying, and feverish. She doesn't recall where she came from or who her people are, only that her name is Beatryce. Eventually it comes to pass that she is the girl mentioned in the prophecy that came to Brother Edik, that a girl
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will come and unseat the king and change the world. The king's soldiers are out looking for her because someone does not want the prophecy to come to pass. Told in elegant prose with a wrinkle of humor and whiff of goat stink. Show Less
LibraryThing member Rosemeg451
This book is well written and interesting. My tween enjoyed it.
LibraryThing member hooligansmama
I read this book aloud to my kids. We all loved it. It is a magical and heartfelt story with depth. The characters and quirky, lovable and some despicable. The imagery is so well written you can imagine the story so easily as you read. In true Kate DiCamillo fashion, it is such a gripping and
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magical story. I think some of the content in the flashback scenes can be intense for younger kids but my kids are 6-13 and all enjoyed it. You will want to check out Beatryce, Answelica, Brother Edik, Cannoc, and Jack Dory on their quest to find and restore truth. Show Less
LibraryThing member davisfamily
Delightful. What a great story about love and learning. The art was interesting and fit the story.
LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
At a sheltered monastery lives a persnickety and violent goat alongside a gentle but traumatized monk. When a young girl arrives on their doorstep one day, sick with a fever and suffering her own trauma, these two are determined to help her even when the other monks on the property think she'll
I honestly don't understand what all the fuss is about Kate DiCamillo. Her books are clearly not for me. I did not find this artful but rather painful to read. I did not care for the characters or the lengthy descriptions of their so-called oddities, particularly the many references to the monk's strabismus as if it's the most insane thing to happen to a person. (I *think* the book is trying to make a point about how the monk's father was awful to him and everyone treats him poorly for this minor disability, but it comes across as almost poking fun at him for it.) There should be satisfaction in the fulfillment of the prophecy, but it was so obviously a matter of course that it was not rewarding. The tacked on conclusion about love and stories saving the world was so unnecessarily redundant and twee.
While diehard DiCamillio fans will likely want to read it, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone other than them.
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cause nothing but trouble for them. I honestly don't understand what all the fuss is about Kate DiCamillo. Her books are clearly not for me. I did not find this artful but rather painful to read. I did not care for the characters or the lengthy descriptions of their so-called oddities, particularly the many references to the monk's strabismus as if it's the most insane thing to happen to a person. (I *think* the book is trying to make a point about how the monk's father was awful to him and everyone treats him poorly for this minor disability, but it comes across as almost poking fun at him for it.) There should be satisfaction in the fulfillment of the prophecy, but it was so obviously a matter of course that it was not rewarding. The tacked on conclusion about love and stories saving the world was so unnecessarily redundant and twee.
While diehard DiCamillio fans will likely want to read it, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone other than them.
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Awards
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (Fiction — 2021)
Texas Bluebonnet Award (Nominee — 2024)
Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Award (Nominee — 2023)
Sequoyah Book Award (Nominee — Children's — 2023)
Triple Crown Awards (Nominee — 2024)
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Children's Literature — 2023)
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (Fiction — 2021)
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Children's Fiction — 2023)
Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2024)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2023)
Kids' Book Choice Awards (Finalist — 2022)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — Grades 4-6 — 2023)
Mind the Gap Awards (2022)
Heartland Booksellers Award (Finalist — 2022)
CCBC Choices (2022)
Notable Children's Book (2022)
Nerdy Book Award (Middle Grade Fiction — 2021)
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (Middle Grade — 2021)
Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids (Fiction — 2021)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
256 p.; 8.88 inches
ISBN
1536213616 / 9781536213614
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Pages
256