The Shakespeare Stealer

When I saw that this book was going to be my daughter's 6th grade summer reading book, I was pleased as punch. As an English major dork, I adore Shakespeare. I have been known to read the plays for pleasure. And I thought that exposing kids to Shakespeare in a roundabout way was sheer genius. All

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this before I even read the book. So it was delightful to discover that the book was fun and entertaining too.

The premise of the book is that Widge is a lowly apprentice who has been taught a version of shorthand by one of his masters. He has never known family or caring, just having been a means to an end in the indentured servitude that has comprised his entire young life so far. His latest master, a genial seeming man, has ordered Widge to steal Shakespeare's Hamlet by attending the play and transcribing it as it occurs. And to make certain that Widge does as he's bidden, he sends the rather scary Falconer with Widge as a sort of enforcer. But Widge doesn't manage to write down the play because he is too engrossed in the pageantry and wonder of the world of imagination. In failing to steal Hamlet, Widge somehow ends up as an apprentice in the Globe theater, falling further and further under the spell of acting, becoming a valued part of the theater family, and escaping the menacing Falconer. But he can't escape his task forever.

Blackwood has created a credible cast of characters and set them in a nicely rendered London in the time of Shakespeare. He has provided an intriguing and easy entry into a world that helps to define the literary world today and has done it without condescending to kids or under-estimating their intelligence. The tension that Widge feels about whether or not Falconer will come to claim him and punish him for his master is conveyed nicely to the middle grade reader. Blackwood's real triumph here though, is in weaving the underlying threads of right versus wrong (embodied here by the idea of intellectual property) and the importance of family (natural or found) in with such a meticulously drawn historical world. He imparts little asides about the times in almost every scene of the book but these instructive bits are so well integrated into the story that they never seem forced or out of place. Really, this is the sort of book I would have loved as a middle grade reader.

When I asked R. what she thought about the book, she gave me a long plot summary and then said, "I liked that he [the author] made them talk like they would and that there were secrets that some people didn't tell." She says she recommends it and so do I.

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The Shakespeare Stealer is a historical fiction adventure, featuring Widge, a poor orphan boy, recently apprenticed to first one, and then another unsavory master. As a "prentice," Widge is unfamiliar with the concepts of freedom, choice, honesty, and friendship. For Widge, life is merely a series

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of events over which he has no control; he survives them, or he does not.

When Widge's new master gives him the task of stealing William Shakespeare's latest play, The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, he thinks of it as nothing more than another of life's turns. He will steal the play or be severely beaten. Only after Widge ingratiates himself with the Lord Chamberlain's Men, Shakespeare's acting company, does he realizes that, while life may be a grand stage upon which we are all actors, we have the ability to play our part as we choose.

The historical details are threaded into the story creating a rich tapestry which includes period dialogue, anecdotes about Shakespeare and his contemporaries, and an insider's view of theater life in Elizabethan London. The message of honesty, loyalty and friendship may be a bit heavy-handed, but the story line is full of intrigue and adventure; the action is fast-paced and exciting. My library has this book in the young adult (YA) section, but it would make a fine choice for grade 6 and up.

An ALA Notable Children's Book Award winne

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sprinkled with details about Elizabethan England and the stage, but a bit moralistic; decent adventure

This isn't heavy-handed historical fiction at all, even if it's set around Shakespeare's Globe. The narrative holds together--it's exciting and atmospheric. A nice introduction to Shakespeare-era theater and 16th/17th-century England.

Widge is apprenticed to a doctor who teaches him a form of shorthand. This skill means he is in demand to copy Shakespeare's plays when they are performed and so he changes masters. But things go awry and somehow he ends up as part of The King's Players and is torn between fear of his master and

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his enjoyment of his new life.
This is a fast moving book rich in historical detail and interesting characters. Suitable for ages 10 and up.

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What would you do if you were stuck in a world trapped around lies? Would you leave? Would you stay? Would you just act?

In The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood Widge, an orphan is put to the ultimate test when he is offered everything he’s ever dreamed until he meets some unexpected

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friends. For most of his life, Widge lived with a doctor he called Dr. Bright, but when a strange man showed up one day he was instantly pulled aside for money, as if he was trash being thrown away for something shiny and new. What this man didn’t tell him was that all he wanted was the play Hamlet by Mr. Shakespeare for back in the 1600s most play were not available for the public. So, all Widge had to do was was write down the play, give it to his master, and get all of his dreams and wishes, but once inside the Globe Theater, Widge is enthralled by the play and taken in by the company as an apprentice. Soon Widge is torn by his fear of his master, his loyalty to the people who have treated him as a friend, and his growing desire to continue as an actor. As full of twists and turns, this entertaining novel is rich with period details, inspiring characters, and drama which kept me wondering one question throughout. Will Widge come through and deliver the play for his master or continue to learn the fine arts of theater?

While reading this book I could picture a movie in my head. My favorite character was one of the actors part of the theater, Julian or more like Julia. She didn’t let anything get in her way although she was a girl and girls aren’t allowed to be apart of any arts such as drama and music by order of the Queen. But, she pretended to be a boy so she could follow her dream, which was quite inspiring. In addition, throughout the novel, I loved the old fashioned country language along with proper londoner language that was descriptive, fun, yet easy to understand. In conclusion, this read was rather gripping and extremely entertaining with some funny bits too, so I would really recommend it to anyone who likes some history with great friendships with a hard decision.

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Widge is an orphan "taken in" by a doctor and his family.The doctor teaches him a shorthand that enables him to write words a s quickly as they are spoken. Widge isn't happy there and dreams that someone will take him away, but when a mystereious cloaked figure comes and offers 10 shillings for him

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Widge whisked into a dangerous theft. His new master wants him to copy Shakespeares play Hamlet so that his theater group can perform it. Widge has to decide whether to do what's right or to take the easy road.
This book was exciting and suspenseful. It's historical fiction, but you can hardly tell because it seems so real. The dialogue and characters are beautifully used. There is also a sequel-The Shakespeare Scribe.

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Widge is an orphan, being passed from master to master like a piece of property. He learns to write a type of shorthand, which makes him a valuable tool to a theater owner determined to steal Shakespeare's Hamlet. Filled with suspense and humor, this is a wonderful introduction to Shakespeare's

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world.

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London, England. Widge is an orphan who’s been apprenticed to a master who trains him to use a special shorthand for transcription of his speeches. Widge is sold to another man and it turns out his duty is to use the shorthand to take down the play of Hamlet as it’s being performed in Globe

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Theater so his new master’s theater group can perform it and make money. But Widge gets so caught up in the play he misses several lines. On a second attempt, he loses the notebook, and fearing the wrath of his master’s assistant, joins the Globe as an apprentice and soon comes to enjoy and appreciate the theater and the family of fellow actors.

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Enjoyable book--I liked the narrator's voice.

A touch of mystery, a touch of drama, and a touch of history. I rather enjoyed this middle-grade novel. With a fair amount of info on Shakespeare's London (largely on places that still exist and thus appear on modern maps), on English dialect, on the lives of orphans and apprentices, and on theatre

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in Shakespeare's time--this book reads as something a 5th-8th grader would enjoy. My son read it over the summer as an incoming 7th grader (it was a choice on the summer reading list) and he did not enjoy it :(

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This one has been recommended to me in a few places, so when I saw it at my local library sale, I snatched it up immediately. Other than the leading title, I had no idea what the book was about, so it was a nice little mystery finding out. Plus, my copy has no details on the back page, where

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summaries and reviews can often give too much away, so that was nice.

I find it interesting that this and the movie Shakespeare in Love were both released in 1998, considering some of the similarities between them, including {SPOILER}. Those of you who know the book and the movie know exactly what I'm talking about. Plus, I like how that particular twist was foreshadowed just enough so that you were gently guided without it being overly obvious, while the reveal at the end comes almost completely out of nowhere (at least, it did for me until I thought about earlier moments).

Being on a Shakespeare kick of late, this one fit right in with my reading, and it's well worth it if you're a fan of Shakespeare, Elizabethan history, or thrilling young adult mystery tales.

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This is an exciting and twisty story about a scrappy orphan boy called "Widge" who gets the job of stealing Mr. Shakespeare's newest play.

There are so many surprising twists about characters that it's hard to write about the book without giving things away! Lots of action in this tale of fencing,

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boats shooting the bridge, and crossing country by night. Costume props like sheep's bladders full of blood take care of the special effects and a secret kind of writing makes the theft of a play possible.

The famous Globe theater comes to life in this winning story. Widge learns all kinds of new skills and puts them to use, while making new friends, even when he has to keep some big secrets. Enjoyable read!

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Adventure in Elizabethan England! Shakespeare! The Globe!
SPL Global Reading Challenge 2016

This is a very nice young adult read about honesty and trust, loyalty and friendship, family and home. Widge is plucked from the orphanage at age seven and apprenticed to Dr Bright – a parson and apothecary. His life there is better than at the orphanage, but mostly that of a servant/apprentice.

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Still, he learns to read and write in English and Latin, and learns basic medicine. He is also taught a form of “charactery” (i.e. stenography) that Dr Bright has invented, and with that skill Widge is sent to neighboring parishes to record those sermons. When he is 14, however, a stranger appears holding one of Dr Bright’s pamphlets touting the charactery system. He “buys” Widge from Dr Bright and takes him to Leicester where, Widge learns, he is expected to “steal” a play for the master to perform. And this is where things get complicated and Widge’s life takes yet another turn.

I like the way Widge is written. He’s conflicted, as a young teen with little nurturing at this point in his life would be. He keeps to himself, having learned some basic “street sense” and survival techniques from his years in the orphanage and under Dr Bright’s tutelage. It’s hard for him to trust, and he doesn’t really understand friendship, so he’s understandably wary when other young people try to befriend him and seek his confidences. There’s a small subplot that reminded me of the movie Shakespeare in Love, which was released the same year this book was published. However, there’s enough swordplay and danger to keep young boys interested, despite the “old” English style of writing.

I’d read more of this series.

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Despite it's klugy beginning, this one's a pretty good book. The premise is that there's this orphan lad, Widge, who's apprenticed to this odd doctor who had developed a form of shorthand. Widge is the guinea pig in this project and indeed is the only one who knows how to write in this unique

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script. Another man, one Simon Bass, reads about the good doctor's method and arranges to buy out Widge's apprenticeship. You see, Mr. Bass owns a company of players and he's looking for some good material that might increase their box office take. He's figured that rather than wait for William Shakespeare to publish his latest hit, Hamlet, he could just send Widge over to catch a performance at the Globe Theater and have him copy down the play. That way Bass' players can beat the rush and perform the latest hit while it's still hot. Of course, it doesn't work out so easily. Widge ends up getting more involved in the world of Elizabethan era theater and Shakespeare's company. It's a story worth checking out. As the tale progresses, the hokey shorthand premise is forgotten and a story of ambition and relationships plays out.
--J.

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A quick YA read that reminded me of Shakespeare in Love. It would be a great introduction to Shakespeare for a middle school kid. Widge is an orphan who has yet to find a kind family. He is tasked with stealing a script of Hamlet and discovers a love of acting instead. There’s a quick pace with a

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few twists and it’s an easy read. I’d recommend for 5th or 6th grade.

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