The Shakespeare Stealer (Shakespeare Stealer)

Rating:
Summary: The Shakespear Stealer
Review: I rated this book a four star because it was wonderfully written and had great cliffhangers that left you sitting on the edge of your seat. I did not give it a five star because there was a few parts in the book where it jumped events to quickly without giving much detail.
After losing his mother and father at a young age, Widge spent most of his childhood in an orphanage.It was the dream of every child within those dreary walls that some day that a real family would come and claim him.At the age of seven, the rector from the nearby hamlet of Berwick came looking for an apprentice and choose Widge to stay with him.There, Dr. Bright taught Widge a new written language which he called charatery.When Twelve Dr. Bright set Widge off to neighboring parishes each Sabbath to copy other rectors`sermons.Then one night a man came to take Widge away. He was brought to a small house in Leicester.There he met his real master named Simon Bass.Mr.Bass tells Widge of a journey he must fufill. That following morning he sets out to copy one of the greatest plays called Hamlit, written by William Shakespear.On the the first time viewing the show Widge focuses more on the show rather then the words he writes down causing him to be forced to watch it again another day.After being caught on the preformance balcany he was forced to make up a lie about wanting to play apart in the play.After days with living with the director`s family he thought of a plan to steal the book of lines and return to his master Mr. Simon Bass.Little does he know, he gets rapped up in the play and continusly gets threatened by his masters worker,Falconer.Would Widge be able to live his life in the play or will he be caught stealing a copy of the greatest, most famous play of all.



Rating:
Summary: Step Back in Time with Shakespeare
Review: Dear Reader: As someone who has spent a professional lifetime in acting and producing Shakespeare (I also have a one-man show of the Bard in person and co-written a 4-part radio biography of Will for National Public Radio, etc.) you could not find a more exciting intro into Will's own world and time than in "The Shakespeare Stealer". (I bought it for my 10 yr old daughter but secretly read it thru myself at one sitting!) Gary Blackwood creates an astonishingly vivid and accurate adventure in this so-important time for us. (Will Shakeseare, more than any other factor, is the reason for the English language we speak, and even think... Imagine, it is 400 years ago and yet we love his words now as then..) Mr. Blackwood, thru the eyes of his creation, the Teenage "Widge", allows us to be on the very stage, eating places and backrooms right beside Will himself. This is a masterpiece of detail and a thrilling adventure as well! If you like THIS one, you will be overjoyed to know his sequel of "Shakespeare's Scribe" will soon be out. I have been priviliged to read the proof copy and it is equal to the first of his invention and I gobbled IT up at one sitting too! 'Fair 'Chieve You!' David Fox-Brenton

Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare comes to life
Review: I always find the best children's books are even better for adults, and this is no exception; it is one of the best books I have read in a long time, even though I got it with my children in mind. I love the combination of a well-observed historical setting, interesting plot twists and turns, all combined with the backdrop of Shakespeare's theatre. There is wonderfully vivid description and I was completely drawn into the story. The relationships between the main young characters are very tender and well drawn. In this modern day, it was also refreshing to find a book in which difficult moral choices had to be faced. Overall extremely uplifting.

Rating:
Summary: The Shakespeare Stealer
Review: The Shakespeare Stealer is a book about a poor orphan boy, called Widge, living in Shakespearean England who can write a rare coded language in which symbols for each word can be written as the words are said. His forceful master, taking advantage of his ability, orders him to go to the Globe Theater to steal Shakespeare's Hamlet by writing down the lines of the play as the actors are acting them out. Though Widge, the poor, nameless orphan boy feels stealing the play is wrong, he enters the Globe Theater to copy down the play Hamlet. He is found by the players at the theater and they take him in and treat them as one of their own, while also being trained as an actor. While living with one of the men from the Lord Chamberlain's Men (the playing troupe) Widge, a country boy, adjusts to city life. However, Widge has not forgotten the threat his master made to him if he did not bring him a copy of Hamlet, and Widge knows that he has sent someone to London to find him and bring him back to the country. While living in London, Widge's accent is not the only thing that changes. For the first time in his life Widge can make decisions on his own. He learns about the meaning of words such as honesty, trust, loyalty, and friendship. He begins to realize that by working and living with the Lord Chamberlain's men, he is betraying them. The real reason he came to the theater was not to become a player, but to steal from Shakespeare himself, and consequently hurting the people who he is now closest to. Widge tries to decide whether he should betray his friends and copy the play or betray his master and stay in the Lord Chamberlain's Men for acting, not for the purpose of stealing a play, even though it means if his master finds him, Widge will receive severe punishment. Widge also learns that the playing troupe has become like family to him, something he has never experienced, but loves very much. Now he wonders: If his master finds him, will the only family he's ever known disappear from him forever?
I felt as though I could relate with the main character, Widge, for one main reason. All through his life, Widge tries to search for, or feel, a sense of belonging. I have moved between two continents and a dozen more houses during my life. I know how important it is to have a sense of belonging somewhere, because having a sense of belonging somewhere makes people unique and who they are. Widge learns that as long as everybody has people who love and care for them it doesn't matter where they live, they will always feel at home and as though thewy belong. That is why I think that Widge's "family" at the Globe Theater is so important and dear to him. I think The Shakespeare Stealer has a good message about family, and how no matter what it is lie, it is important to everybody's sense of belonging, is a good message.
I loved this book. It not only has action, such as duels and manhunts, it had a great perspective of Elizabethan life in the late fifteen hundreds from a teenager's point of view. My favorite part of the book is when Widge gets his first chance at acting on stage with the players. He was so nervous, he was sure he would forget everything, but once he was on stage he made a great performance. I think it proves that if anyone tries hard they can conquer just about anything. My least favorite part of the book was when an actor from The Lord Chamberlain's Men was forced to leave because she had disguised herself as a boy, because it was illegal for women to act. If I could change any part of the book, it would be that Julian, were allowed to stay on and act with the players, even though she was a girl. I think the fact that Julia was not allowed to stay on with the players, even if they wanted her to, shows the general sexism against women in England at the time, even though it was getting better because the sole ruler of England was a queen (Queen Elizabeth).
I would definitely recommend The Shakespeare Stealer to others because it has action, emotion, drama, and it is a great historical-fiction. It also shows a lot of aspects of Elizabethan England, but it is definitely not a bore. I think someone who likes excitement and historical fiction would greatly enjoy this book, and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare Stealer
Review: The Shakespeare Stealer is a great book to read. The book is about a boy named Widge.He is a orphan who is adopted by a man named Dr. Bright. Doctor Bright took Widge to his home and let him live with him. During the time Widge lived with Dr.Bright made his own alphabet and taught it to Widge. The a man named Simon Bass payed Dr.Bright ten pounds for Widge. Simon Bass the sends Widge with his worker Falconer to London to copy the play Hamlet. Widge sneeks into the theater while the players are practicing the play. then someone sees Widge but his knife is stuck on the curtin in the booth. He gets loose he is running and running he gets outside getting ready to hide in the back door but suddenly the door swings open. BOOM! I cant tell you the rest but go buy the book or get it at the library. Dont forget to renew the book or youll have a fine like mine . Got to go return my book .Bye

Rating:
Summary: "The Shakespeare Stealer"
Review: This book has been one of the greatest books I have read. If you haven't already read The Shakespeare Stealer, you absolutely have to. It was full of excitement, loyalty and friendship. It was a spectactular story, and I would read it every day if I could. It jogges the imagination and curiosity. I was fascinated with gary blackwood's style of writing and his plot which I think he wrote beautifly. READ THIS BOOK!!!

Rating:
Summary: Terrific
Review: This is a book I picked up to read to my sons prior to a trip to London, in the hopes of giving them a sense of, not only the history of London, but of one of the world's greatest playwrites. I could not have picked a better series. The book is extremly well-written, very much in the feel of a Robert Louis Stevenson adventure, both in tone and language. It is clear that Blackwood did a fair amount of research into the life and times of Shakespeare. Although the bard is by no means a central character in this first book of the series, he is a tangential figure. And while there is a great deal of adventure and suspense within this novel, with each of the short chapters ending with a mild cliff-hanger, the beauty of the book comes in the main character's -- Widge's -- search for belonging and community. By book's end, he finds it within the theatre, Shakespeare's Globe. The book succeeds on many levels, not the least of which is giving the reader a good sense of what a player's life was like at the beginning of the 17th century. While I, as an adult reader, thoroughly enjoyed how tightly written this novel was, it should be pointed out that my enjoyment spread to re-reading a couple of Shakespeare's plays, as well as some recently-issued biographies of the Bard. Well done, Blackwood.

Rating:
Summary: The Shakespeare Stealer
Review: This is a great book. It gets you involved in the time period, and the characters and makes the 1600's real and understandable. It mixs fact with fiction, making it entertaining and educational. It has exciting chapter endings and the book has a surprising ending. Since, you'll want to read more about Widge when you're done there is the sequel Shakesperes Scribe.

Rating:
Summary: The Sneaker Peaker Review of The Shakespeare Stealer
Review: Will you have to steal a play from William Shakespeare? As kids read fictional novel The Shakespeare Stealer about an orphan torn to make the right decision, the tension grows. In the 1400s of England, Widge, the orphan is ordered to steal one of Shakespeare's plays. He goes up to the theatre and gets to join the theatre group. He is then torn to make the right decision. Will he steal the play?
Will you be torn to make the right decision? Will you also have to steal a play? The truth is for you to find. This book is a five star book and I recommend you to read this book. I highly recommend this book to preteens.
Once again, Gary Blackwood turns another book into a masterpiece such as Wild Timothy, The Year of the Hangman and Moonshire. Although there is violence in the book, you can see there is a lot to things you can learn in the book and what it means to make the right decision. There are also more books to this series. They are The Shakespeare Scribe and The Shakespeare Spy.

Rating:
Summary: Wow--what more can I say?
Review: Wow wow wow! This book is terrific! This book has an interesting main character, interesting plot, and interesting dialouge. You can learn alot (while having a good time) when you read The Shakespeare Stealer!