The Devil and His Boy
Grade 5-7-Finding himself in London when he fully expected to spend all of his days in Framlingham where he worked, or more precisely slaved, for Sebastian and Henrietta Slope, young Tom Falconer hardly knows what to make of the startling turn of events in his life. Taken from the Slopes' inn by a gentleman who is then murdered by the highwayman, Ratsey, Tom is now on his own. Befriended by a pickpocket, Moll Cutpurse, he decides he wants to be an actor. As luck would have it, no appropriate parts are available for him in Will Shakespeare's new play at the Rose Theatre, so he accepts work with the mysterious Dr. Mobius, whose play The Devil and His Boy is to be presented before Queen Elizabeth. The fast-paced plot quickly thickens. Tom finds himself pursued by Ratsey, warned of danger by a fellow actor, and caught up in political intrigue. Needless to say, when he lands in the lap of the queen while trying to save her life, Tom finds himself in more trouble than he ever thought possible. Horowitz paints his characters, or in some cases, caricatures, with broad strokes and keeps the melodramatic story moving at a rapid clip. There's no subtlety here, but it's a rollicking good tale that is mostly based on historical fact, or at least historical rumor.Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MACopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.