The Diamond of Drury Lane (Cat Royal Adventure) [Paperback]

Julia Golding (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Cat Royal Adventure

Reader, you are set to embark on an adventure about one hidden treasure, two bare-knuckle boxers, three enemies, and four hundred and thirty-eight rioters. It is told by an ignorant and prejudiced author—me.

She’s Cat Royal, four foot four with long red hair and not a penny to call her own. She lives in the Theater Royal on Drury Lane, a place filled with dramatic characters, theatrical spectacles, and now, a secret treasure—which Cat has been asked to protect. Her new friend Pedro, a former slave and gifted violinist, is eager to help, and so is the theater prompter, Jonathan, who is hiding secrets of his own. But when the ruthless gang leader Billy Shepherd learns about the treasure, Cat thinks she’s going to lose it for sure. She still doesn’t know what the treasure is, so how can she keep it safe from Billy and his gang? Follow Cat into the streets of London, as she faces danger and adventure, racing to be the first to discover the diamond of Drury Lane!

 

The Diamond of Drury Lane is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 6–8—A remarkable debut novel. Cat is a streetwise orphan living in the Drury Lane Theatre in 1790s London. Her budding friendships with violin prodigy Pedro, a former slave; two teenage members of the aristocracy; and the theatre's mysterious new prompter are put to the test when she agrees to help safeguard the hidden treasure of the title. Golding's fast-paced story abounds with atmosphere and adventure as Cat struggles to prevent the vicious leader of one of Covent Garden's street gangs from finding the diamond. Along the way, she experiences a taste of political intrigue and begins to wonder what her future holds. The author's liberal use of late-18th-century phraseology adds charm and color to this first-person tale, which is aided by a glossary in which the likable heroine explains each term. Cat and her friends are wholly three-dimensional, although some of the novel's minor characters are stereotypes. Readers will likely be too captivated by the charming prose, exciting plot, and Cat herself to notice this minor flaw.—Leah J. Sparks, formerly at Bowie Public Library, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* The Drury Theater, where she was abandoned as a baby, is the only home Catherine Royal has ever known. When she learns the theater owner has a deposited a diamond somewhere on the premises, she vows to help keep it safe. The whereabouts of the diamond is a thread that runs through a story with as many cliff-hangers as there are chapters in the book. But real thrills also come from the varied, sharply drawn cast that populates the Covent Garden area of early eighteenth-century London. Violin virtuoso Pedro, a young African who was once a slave, seems trustworthy—but is he? Roughneck Billy wants Cat’s affection, and he’ll take what he can’t get. Jonathan, the theater prompter, may be involved in insurrection. Then there are the nobs, Lord Francis and Lady Elizabeth, who befriend Cat, a relationship that causes problems for all concerned. Golding, who won a 2006 Smarties Prize for this in Britian, is a talented scene setter. From the spectacles in the theater to the filth of the city streets, she offers a view London readers can grasp with all their senses. This first book in the Cat Royal Quartet ably sets the stage for what’s to come. Grades 7-10. --Ilene Cooper --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Square Fish; 1 edition (April 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312561237
• ISBN-13: 978-0312561239
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #793,815 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My journey to becoming an author has been a roundabout one, taking in many other careers. I grew up on the edge of Epping Forest (Essex, UK) and was that dreamy kind of child who was always writing stories. After reading English at Cambridge, I decided to find out as much as I could about the wider world so joined the Foreign Office and served in Poland. My work as a diplomat took me from the high point of town twinning in the Tatra Mountains to the low of inspecting the bottom of a Silesian coal mine.

On leaving Poland, I exchanged diplomacy for academia and took a doctorate in the literature of the English Romantic Period at Oxford. I then joined Oxfam as a lobbyist on conflict issues, campaigning at the UN and with governments to lessen the impact of conflict on civilians living in war zones - a cause about which I still feel very passionate.

Married with three children, I now live in Oxford between two rivers, surrounded by gargoyles, beautiful sandstone buildings and ancient trees. I plan my books while walking our dog, Caspar, on Port Meadow by the Thames or Isis.

My first novel, 'The Diamond of Drury Lane', won the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2006 and the Nestle Children's Book Prize 2006 (formerly known as the Smarties Prize). I was also chosen by Waterstone's in 2007 as one of their 'Twenty-five authors for the future'. 'Empty Quarter' was longlisted for the Carnegie Award 2009; 'Wolf Cry' in 2010. In the US, 'Secret of the Sirens' won the honor book medal of the Green Earth Book Award.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely lovely book set in old London, July 22, 2007

By 

Odin Hørthe Omdal (Stavanger, Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Adolescent orphan Catherine Royal lives backstage the Royal Theatre in old 18th century London. One night she hears of a diamond hidden inside the theatre, and from there the whole story unravels. She befriends an African boy and two kids of higher class than herself whilst she still hang around trying to become member of one of Londons many gangs.

I can't give this book any fair review as English is not my first language and I'm not good reviewing. However, this book had me from start to finish, a truly engaging and fantastic book which should be read if you like similar books.

Oh well, just read it and write a better review. :-)

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cat Royal is a True Gem, August 3, 2009

By 

Erin Johnson "For the Love of Books" (Mankato, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Diamond of Drury Lane (Cat Royal Adventure) (Paperback)

Oh holy happiness! I picked up this one on interlibrary loan for an upcoming presentation of current popular children's books (yes, I know this came out in 2006, but the recent one just came out) and could hardly put it down!

If you've been reading my reviews for long, you'll notice a pattern of me falling in love with girls who are smart, strong, and smart-alecky with a twist. Catherine Royal is all of the above and more! This is the second book in a row I've read that involves the main character living in a theater, which I found to be really interesting as I rarely have some of the same characteristics in books by two different authors - hope that made sense. (The other is Eyes Like Stars).

Cat is an orphan who doesn't know who her parents were, but Mr. Sheridan has been her guardian of sorts since she was left on the steps of the theater. She's grown up around the raucous gangs of Covent Garden, knows which areas of London she should avoid at all costs, knows everyone and everything that goes on in the theater, and has a heart of gold that gets her into some serious hot water.

Her troubles start when she overhears Mr. Sheridan talking about the diamond that is hidden in the theater. She promises to keep the secret, and she does so quite well until Pedro shows up. Accidentally divulging the secret to him, she wonders if she can trust him when she finds him looking for the diamond. Add in the new stage prompter who is more than he seems, a bully with ethics and a bully that would be better off in Newgate (prison for those of you that don't know), and you've got yourself one rip-roaring story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

I also absolutely adore how this novel was designed. You have a lovely listing of the cast of characters at the beginning of the story, as well as a map of London and a word of warning from Cat herself (as she is the narrator telling us the story) saying that, "This is not the world of the drawing room and country estate...If you want to survive in my neighborhood, you have to be prepared to use coarse language that packs a verbal punch." Now, before you get upset about the language, it's the common language of London in the 1790s. It's very different from today's brand of bad language. There is also a list of the slang used in the book at the back which can be quite helpful. Generally speaking the reader will get the gist of what is being said, but sometimes a quick check confirming your thoughts will make you laugh a little louder.

Can you stand one more glowing bit about the design of the book? It's divided up as a play, with 5 acts, each having 3 - 4 scenes. The beginning of each act has a map of a more detailed location in London, and a quip from Cat about what is going to be happening. Theater lovers take heart! This has enough drama that you'll want to stage this one as a play yourselves!

Notes on the Cover:
Cat peeking out of the curtains at the theater. The girl on the cover is pretty close to how I imagine her, and I like the theater curtains and the feel that she is lurking. Cat does do her fair share of hiding, but it's generally just because she's in the wrong place at the wrong time. She really never intends to go looking for trouble - it is somehow attracted to her.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Fantastic, July 1, 2009

By 

Book Club Reader (Tampa, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Diamond of Drury Lane (Cat Royal Adventure) (Paperback)

Anyone looking for a good historical fiction read will enjoy this fast-paced and witty tale about Cat Royal, an orphan living in one of England's theaters in the late 1700s. The story moves along quickly, with each chapter laid out in Acts and Cat narrating. Golding has done a fantastic job creating a character that the reader can easily fall in love with. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
The 2 page glossary at the back gives young readers insight into the slang of England without being intimidating. A great read aloud for 5th or 6th graders that gives you the opportunity to branch off into historical events from the 1700s.