Nickel Shakespeare Girls by Clinton Steeds on www.flickr.com. According to Clinton, these girls can perform any scene from a Shakespeare play that someone in the audience calls out.
*Middle-grade, tween contemporary mystery novel
*6th-grade girl as main character
*Rating: Shakespeare’s Secret is a remarkable book with a wonderful mystery that children and adults will love!
Short, short summary:
An excerpt from School Library Journal review: Hero has always hated her Shakespearean-based name, for, as her new sixth-grade classmates are quick to tell her, it’s better suited to a dog than to a girl. Resigned to their constant teasing, she concentrates instead on her new-found friendship with her kindly, if somewhat eccentric, elderly next-door neighbor. Mrs. Roth tells Hero about the missing “Murphy Diamond,” a precious jewel that supposedly disappeared from the house where Hero now lives. Mrs. Roth has the necklace that once held the diamond, an heirloom that possibly once belonged to Anne Boleyn, and she is convinced that it is still hidden in the vicinity. She and Hero set out to find what the police could not, and, with help from Danny, a popular yet self-assured eighth grader who befriends them both, you’ll have to discover if they succeed–(This last part is from Margo–I’m not going to tell you what happens.) Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RISo, what do I do with this book?
1. Some understanding of who William Shakespeare/Anne Boleyn were and what Shakespeare did for English literature/drama is probably necessary for children/tweens to truly understand and enjoy this novel. Before reading, show students a Shakespeare play that you can rent on DVD from the library or even better (and if possible) would be a field trip to a live performance. You can also assign students different short biographical topics such as Shakespeare’s childhood, first play, and so on or assign various plays to research. Students can share their findings with the class.
2. As Hero and Danny are discovering clues and information about the Murphy Diamond, your students can also try to figure out its location. Where do they think it could be? Ask students to write down clues and make predictions in their reading response journals right along with Hero and Danny.
3. Hero is teased because of her name. Many children who are reading this novel are also teased for one reason or another, so they may be able to relate well with Hero and her feelings–even when Danny, a popular kid, befriends her. Besides asking students to write about and discuss the mystery, historical facts, and plot, give them some writing prompts that allow them to make personal connections with the characters during this often difficult time of adolescence.
This would make a great book club choice or a home school study, too!
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