Freshly-Brewed Monday Book Recommendation #4!- Shakespeare's Secret

 

Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach

Hero, named after the character in Much Ado About Nothing, is a serious but likable six-grader who is plagued with always being the new girl in school. Her loving dad, a Shakespeare scholar, names each of his children after characters in Shakespeare plays. Sounds sweet, right? But Hero's name has always been an issue of irritation. It's worse than ever now: her new classmate tells her her name is the same as his dog!

Soon after the book begins, the mystery is revealed. Without sharing any of the juicy clues or red herrings, the mystery is shared with Hero, her elderly neighbor Mrs. Roth and a cute popular 8th grader named Danny. There's a 500 year old necklace hidden somewhere in Hero's new house,  but where? 

I love mysteries. This one has the added take-away of being full of fascinating history. Author Elise Broach knows her Shakespearean/English history and this book delves into the potential link between Ann Boleyn and Edward DeVere (thought by many to be the true author of Shakespeare's plays). It is light, as mysteries go- no death, no physical danger- and I think it is a great fit for the 9-12 range. I loved the writing and I highly recommend this one, both as an enjoyable read and a great vessel for interesting history.