The Shakespeare Stealer - by Gary Blackwood (Paperback)

About the Book

A young orphan named Widge is sent to the Globe Theater to steal the script of "Hamlet" from Shakespeare's own company of players. When he becomes friends with the actors, he must decide whether to disobey his sinister master or betray his new friends. An ALA Notable Book.

Book Synopsis

A delightful adveture full of humor and heart set in Elizabethan England!

Widge is an orphan with a rare talent for shorthand. His fearsome master has just one demand: steal Shakespeare's play "Hamlet"--or else. Widge has no choice but to follow orders, so he works his way into the heart of the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare's players perform. As full of twists and turns as a London alleyway, this entertaining novel is rich in period details, colorful characters, villainy, and drama.

* "A fast-moving historical novel that introduces an important era with casual familiarity." --School Library Journal, starred review

"Readers will find much to like in Widge, and plenty to enjoy in this gleeful romp through olde England" --Kirkus Reviews

"Excels in the lively depictions of Elizabethan stagecraft and street life." --Publishers Weekly

An ALA Notable Book

From the Back Cover

Steal Shakespeare's play Hamlet... or else.

THAT'S THE ORDER FROM his fearsome master. And Widge -- a poor orphan with the rare ability to write a unique coded shorthand -- has no choice but to follow orders. So Widge works his way into the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare's troupe rehearses and performs. The players take him in and treat him as one of their own. Afraid to disappoint his master, but unwilling to betray his new friends, Widge is torn. Will he secretly copy down the lines? Until he decides, he must play the part of his life.

Review Quotes

"Excels in the lively depictions of Elizabethan stagecraft and street life,"--Publisher's Weekly

"A fast-moving historical novel that introduces an important era with casual familiarity." --School Library Journal, starred review

"Readers will find much to like in Widge, and plenty to enjoy in this gleeful romp through olde England"--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Gary L. Blackwood sold his first story when he was nineteen, and has been writing and publishing stories, articles, plays, novels, and nonfiction books regularly ever since. His stage plays have won awards and been produced in university and regional theatre. Nonfiction subjects he's covered include biography, history, and paranormal phenomena. His juvenile novels, which include WILD TIMOTHY, THE DYING SUN, and THE SHAKESPEARE STEALER, are set in a wide range of times and places, from Elizabethan England to a parallel universe. Several have received special recognition and been translated into other languages. He and his wife and kids live outside Carthage, MO.