The Playmaker by J.B. Cheaney Date of Publication: 200 ISBN: : 0440417104 Number of Pages: 305

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: High
GENRES: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Mystery
THEMES: Appearance versus Reality, Coming of Age, Good versus Evil, Loyalty, Friendship, Family

SUMMARY:
Fourteen-year-old Richard Malory has arrived in London with few assets and fewer connections. He is in search of the father who abandoned his small family years ago, and is dealing with grief over the recent death of his mother. Homesick for his sister and the life they knew, he quickly falls in with some dangerous characters, and is robbed, beaten, and threatened with death. Unwilling to give up easily, he sets out to determine who wants him out of London and why. He meets up with the enterprising and quick-thinking Starling, a young girl who recognizes his need for a friend. She manipulates things so that he ends up in a troupe of actors where he learns the trade while unraveling the mystery that surrounds him. As a player, he meets William Shakespeare and his associates, and discovers a treasonous plot that affects those closest to him, including his long lost father. Only when he gets to the bottom of the mystery can he truly understand who he is, and what he’s meant to become.

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...

• loves adventure
• likes stories told in First Person Narrative
• is interested in Shakespeare and/or his time
• likes a strong protagonist who is determined to survive
• is fascinated by theatre and/or its early roots
• likes action woven with history
• isn’t thrown by the odd obsolete phrase or archaic language reference
• has issues with a “dead beat parent"

WHAT ELSE?
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, The Playmaker has received very good reviews and has a sequel entitled The True Prince. It delves into the time period well, and manages to make history interesting and exciting. Quite soon in the story the reader learns of both the abandonment of the boy’s father, and the recent death of his mother. These may strike close to home for some students, so be aware.

RELATED LINKS:
Author's Website
Teacher's Guide
Shakespeare and Elizabethan Theatre
William Shakespeare