Title: The Beatryce Prophecy
Written by: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by: Sophie Blackall
Age Recommendations: 8-12 years
What is it about?
"It is written in the Chronicles of Sorrowing that one day there will come a child who will unseat the king. The prophecy states that this child will be a girl. Because of this, the prophecy has long been ignored"...until now.
Brother Edik is kind of an outcast in the Montessori but, even with a wild eye that will not be controlled, he has a heart of gold an is loyal to the point of self destruction.
Answelica is a goat like no other. She likes almost no one and may be a little too amused by harassing and abusing the monks who share space with her. This may be why the monks are pretty confident that she is not just a goat, but a demon.
Jack Dory is an orphan with a violent and painful past but he's strong and independent which may be exactly what is needed.
Beatryce is a girl taught in crime. When only the most privileged males are allowed by law to be able to read and write, Beatryce, a young girl, can do both and is happy to do so. She's full of imagination and heart even when her memory is failing her and she has lost all memory of her past.
And then their lives collide, leaving them all fleeing and fighting for their very lives, with only each other and the few friends they may meet along the way to rely on. The prophecy as been learned. The king is out for blood in an attempt to keep his thrown and the world is about to change for ever.
Favorites:
Favorite Character: I liked so many characters here but I think, maybe, my two favorites were Brother Edik and Answelica.
I like d Brother Edik because he was sweet and caring. He was willing to do what was right over all else, even if it could be seen as betrayal by his fellow monks. He's a natural father/grandfather type figure in the world even though he does not have any children of his own and he respects and honors the power of words.
Answelica is just a unique, quirky character with a crazy amount of personality. She just made me chuckle and giggle.
Least Favorite Character: The bad guys. lol Obviously. lol But I can't say too much more about that without spoilers.
Favorite Part: This one is hard but I think I'm going to go with a scene in the woods when our heroes meet a new friend. It's a quirky, fun scene that may be the scene that made me chuckle the most. It was cute (perfect for a kids' story) and cute. It was was a great illustration of the characters at their core.;
Least Favorite Part: I think when Jack Dory and Beatryce go to town. It's one of the few dark moments in the story that just made me feel uneasy.
Other Thoughts:
I found this story to be a cute and sweet children's tale with an old feel to it, as if this is a story that's been passed down from generation to generation with almost a traditional fairy tale with a modern style feel to it. I can see this becoming a cute animated movie and I would absolutely get it for our family movie night.
While there is some violence and even murder in this book that may be especially disturbing to the most sensitive of readers, it was a story of heart. Told in the third person perspective, the change in perspective was kept to a minimum and generally served as more of a foreshadowing or further explanation to help young readers be able to follow the tale with ease.
I loved that Beatryce continually was able to meet anyone and be able to instantly look beyond what made them different and maybe even an outcast to see what their best parts were and what kind of person they were. That is what she acted on, not their oddities. It also helped her to embrace that which made others different or odd and strengthen their relationship, especially when it was needed most. I would happily hand this story over to my own children to read!
What do I rate this book?
I give this book a
7
out of
10 crowns
But that's just me! What did you think? Are you excited to experience The Beatryce Prophecy yourself? Who's your favorite character? Did you love Answelica, too? Let us know in the comments.
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