Quite enjoyable. The Shakespeare tie-in is nicely done: not only with some language, and background of particular plays being performed, but even that the particular plays being performed relate to some degree to the themes of the book; for instance Hamlet (Widge has to decide what really matters to him, and what he really wants to do), and The Merchant of Venice (with some ambiguity about the "villain" of the story). But parents should be aware that some anti-Semitism is expressed (true to the time) by characters and never really challenged, and it's left rather ambiguous whether the villain of the book himself had some Jewish background. Especially with younger kids, this probably needs some discussion with parents. An older teen's excessive drinking is criticized. A "bad" character dies in a sword-fight; it's treated as a serious, sad event, not merely as a righteous "triumph".

This book is about a boy named Widge, and he is an orphan. He gets sold to a man who wants him to steal the play of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. So Widge has to find a way to get the book without getting caught. He ends up doing some other tasks so he can get the book. This thriller book shows friendship, wisdom, and adventure. Does Widge decide to steal the book, or does he have a change of heart? You will have to read the book to find out.

Well, I had to read this book for summer reading. I honestly thought it was going to be terrible, and the first few pages were. but after I actually got into it, I could not put the book down. I really recommend this book if you can stand a couple of bad beginnings.

I am surprised the CS review does not address the themes of anti-semitism in the Shakespeare Stealer. While historically accurate, there is no context or perspective for younger readers. One of the subplots is hatred of Jews--while a lot of books deal with racism or bigotry, there is usually balance or a moral. Not so here. Not that the author is advocating, just that the negative stereotypes are presented as a matter of fact with no offsetting perspective. By the end of the book (in which the subplot plays a part), the anti-semitism felt gratiutous and, in terms of the ending, a bit ridiculous. I found a lot to like about this book--it is a fun introduction to Shakespeare and life in London during the middle ages. But the ending (which is simply a medieval version of a car chase and shoot out) and the unbalanced portrayal of Jews, makes this hard to recommend, particularly for younger readers (10 and under).

More than an affair is mentioned, including cheating, nd teen love. There is also a TON of fighting, a little cursing, and cruelty. But it teaches about Shakespeare, Widge is learining about control of his life, and there are a lot of positive messeges. :)