Title: The Beatryce Prophecy
Author: Kate DiCamillo with illustrations by Sophie Blackall
Setting: Medieval Europe* (sort of!)
Recommended Age: Middle Grade
What it’s about…
The Beatryce Prophecy is a story about a girl with a goat and a great destiny. When Beatryce appears mysteriously at a monastery, the monks aren’t quite sure what to make of her. She remembers nothing of her life except her name. But she’s sharp as a tack. And she is a girl who can read! Clearly, there’s something more to Beatryce… something prophetic. But if the King’s men get to her before she can realize her destiny, Beatryce will pay the ultimate price.
My hot take…
This book centers girls and women in the rich tapestry of Medieval life. (Don’t want to give too much away, but suffice it to say, Kate DiCamillo gives Beatryce access to “boys only” spaces, like monasteries and royal courts.) Relationships are tender, lovely, and compelling, particularly that of the friendship between Beatryce and Answellica the goat. At its heart, this book is about the power of storytelling, which parallels nicely with the illuminated manuscript work of the monks who take Beatryce in. Though the world of The Beatryce Prophecy is set squarely in the Middle Ages, readers today will find one thing in particular resonant and evergreen: Smart girls who speak their minds are a force to be reckoned with.
You might like this book if you enjoy: Queendoms, calligraphy, and naughty goats
*A bit of magic in this one as well as maple candies, which are from North America!
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