A Murder for Her Majesty by Beth hilgartner tells the story of a young girl living in the who witnesses the murder of her own father. The girl feels threatened because of information she uncovers about her father's death so she leaves her home in search of a family friend. Full of mystery, intrigue, and danger this is a wonderful adventure that takes the reader back in time to Europe's Elizabethan age.

I am a fan of Queen Elizath and have read many things about her including her own writings. I also enjoy mystery and suspense so this book was a perfect choice for me. I am definitely going to give this book to my own children and am interested to see what their response is.

In the classroom this book could be used in a Literature or History class. There is so much literature available from this time period and a lot of interesting history. It is a novel , however, and therefore would be difficult to fit into a classroom schedule. I would recommend it for students personal reading. ( )

i read this book at class with my class mates and teacher and i think its classicaly wonderful!!!!!!!!!

Queen Elizabeth gives the order to have Henry Tuckfield killed. When the arrow struck Henry Alice saw it all hiding in a tree.She remembered her fathers words if a she ever needed anything to go to Lady Jenny. On her way she runs into two boys and they take her back to their dorm for Yorkshire Choir boys. She hides out with them pretending to be a boy.

Classroom extension create a classroom choir and have the kids learn of a few songs from that time period and they can perform for one of the neighboring classrooms
Classroom Extension: Research Queen Elizabeth and have the kids draw her portrait.

A Murder for her Majesty by Beth Hilgartner
You travel back to the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Alice Tuckfield witnesses her father's murder and is now in fear for her own life. Where can a young girl alone in the 16th century hide? How can she disappear? I just love this book and plan to reread it this summer. This story is full of music and history and sends you back to another place and time. An interesting look at life in the cathedral choirs. It makes me want to visit York someday.
Classroom Extensions: 1 – the children could have discussions on the “who did it” suspense and talk about whether or not they would be willing to change who they are to both hide and seek out the killers. 2 – the children could make a list of songs that inspire them and we could make a chart to see if the songs inspire anyone else in the class after listening to them aloud. ( )

This tale is a combination of two clichés: the endangered child who is forced to fend for his or herself, and the child who pretends to be a kid of the opposite gender. In this case, the child is Alice Tuckfield, an upper class eleven-year-old in 16th Century England. Her mother had died some years before and as the story starts she has just witnessed the murder of her father. She makes her way to Yorkshire, in an attempt to contact a friend of her father's. Tired, hungry and cold, she encounters a group of choirboys who take her in. After a day or two, they get the idea for her to masquerade as a boy and she ends up joining them in their home, school and choir. Meanwhile, her father's killers are on the lookout for the missing girl. The question is, how long can Alice maintain her masquerade? Will she survive long once the secret's revealed? The story starts slow, but my interest was captured as I got to know the characters and the killers drew nearer. It's a nice book to check out if you've got the time.
--J. ( )