his fast-moving and well-crafted piece of fiction is the diary that Queen Elizabeth the First never actually wrote. Though the prose throughout is in a modern style and many of the entries show modern ideas about subjects such as class and relationships, the whole effect is still fairly convincing. This is an excellent book for a younger reader, and children from seven to twelve should find it an absorbing introduction to both the person and the era. With any luck they will go on from here and read some history..

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