Girl in a Cage [Hardcover]

Jane Yolen (Author), Robert J. Harris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2004 | Age Level: 11 and up | Grade Level: 6 and up

When her father, Robert the Bruce, becomes King of Scotland, Marjorie Bruce becomes a princess. But Edward Longshanks, the ruthless King of England, has set his sights on Robert and his family. Marjorie is captured and imprisoned in a wooden cage in the center of a town square, exposed to wind, rain, the taunts of the townspeople, and the scorn of Longshanks himself. Marjorie knows that despite her suffering and pain, she is the daughter of noble Robert the Bruce&150and she will make her father, and her country, proud. For a true princess is a princess, whether in a castle or in a cage.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The second in a planned quartet of historical novels set in Scotland (which began with Queen's Own Fool: A Novel of Mary Queen of Scots), Girl in a Cage by Jane Yolen and Richard J. Harris finds the 11-year-old daughter of the newly crowned King of Scotland kidnapped, imprisoned and put on display in an English town square by angry rivals in 1306. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10-The coauthors of Queen's Own Fool (Philomel, 2000) present an equally compelling interpretation of an earlier period in Scotland's history told by another young protagonist. In 1306, a year has passed since patriot William "Braveheart" Wallace was executed, and things are not going well for the cause of Scottish freedom. Robert Bruce, newly crowned king of Scotland, has managed to evade his powerful enemy, Edward I of England, but many allies have been killed or taken. A recent capture is Bruce's 11-year-old daughter Marjorie. The princess finds herself conveyed to the English border town of Lanercost, locked in an iron cage, and displayed outdoors day and night by the decree of ailing King Edward, "Longshanks," himself. Marjorie's first-person narration of her captivity and the events leading up to it is exciting and moving, and her strategies for coping with a hideous imprisonment are models of ingenuity and staying true to oneself. The time line and afterword are helpful in understanding the historical context within which the authors place their well-wrought fictional tale.
Starr E. Smith, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Hardcover: 234 pages
• Publisher: Perfection Learning (August 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756929466
• ISBN-13: 978-0756929466
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,094,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting battle of wills, February 26, 2003

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Girl in a Cage (Stuart Quartet) (Hardcover)

Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris serve up a worthy successor to "Queen's Own Fool": "Girl in a Cage," the second of four historical novels taking place during pivotal parts of Scottish history. "Girl" is a great read, funny and chilling and taking readers right into the middle of Scotland during the time of Robert the Bruce.

As the book opens, Marjorie Bruce is being dragged by English soldiers to a small town, where she is tossed into an animal's cage. The villagers treat her with disgust, and she is kept under guard. Her life was turned upside-down when her father confronted and killed Red Comyn, a treacherous lackey of King Edward Longshanks. Now Marjorie's father, Robert the Bruce, has been crowned king of Scotland, and Longshanks is trying to hunt down and kill him.

In flashback, Marjorie reveals the events that turned herself, her stepmother, and her relations into fugitives. In the present, the dying Longshanks visits Marjorie's cage to taunt her, pressing the lonely girl to betray her father in exchange for release. And Marjorie, crown princess of Scotland, is determined to outlast the enemy king, no matter what.

Usually flashbacks stink. But Harris and Yolen pull it off wonderfully, flipping between the past and the present. And even though in the present Marjorie never budges from her cage, there are all sorts of little subplots, such as some peasant children who become her "knights" and "ladies-in-waiting," or the kindly monk who tries to help her in small ways.

Marjorie's character development is absolutely wonderful; at the beginning of the whole adventure, she's a bit immature and petulant. But her rude awakening when she is treated like less than an animal is well-drawn, and her iron-clad determination to outlast Longshanks. Speaking of Longshanks, he is presented as a pretty vile person, but not two-dimensionally so -- one very striking scene near the end has him talking about his dead wife.

The writing isn't too wrapped up in historical details the way most historical novels are. And as with "Fool," Yolen and Harris are careful with the very complex politics of the times. They make all this easy to understand, but never dumbed-down. The descriptions of Marjorie's misery in the cage is haunting.. And the last chapters are incredibly powerful, with Marjorie's last talk with Longshanks and a very unexpected twist. (Whatever it is, you won't expect it)

Adults and kids alike can read "Girl in a Cage" -- like "Fool," it's one of those fantastic historical books that will be as good for any age group, especially for people who love Scotland.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Historical Fiction Book, May 20, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Girl in a Cage (Stuart Quartet) (Paperback)

Girl in a Cage is about how a Scottish princess, Margerie Bruce, is taken prisoner by King Longshanks of England. It is set in both England and Scotland in about 1347. It tells about what Margerie's father did to become king, what happened to her so that she became a prisoner, and what happened during her prisoner ship. It is a great page turner and leaves you at the end of each chapter with cliffhangers that make you want to read it forever. How the author describes the time that Margerie lived in a cage is awesome. Also a lot of it is true. The author did a lot of research and it turned out great. It also shows a great deal of how King Longshanks (a character who is actually king Edward) treated his prisoners. I think that this was one of the best historical fiction books that I have ever read and would recommend it to anyone.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thrilled To Be A Princess, December 10, 2005

By 

Genine Silverio "Genine" (Pearland TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Girl in a Cage (Stuart Quartet) (Paperback)

Girl In A Cage is an okay book, and it's about a wealthy Scottish girl named Marjorie during the time of 1306. Things between her country and the English have not been going well. England plans to invade Scotland, but Marjorie's father Robert the Bruce will not let their enemy do so. With much appoval, Robert the Bruce crowns himself as King of Scotland, and then draws plans to lead men against the invaders. Despite the constant threat, Marjorie is thrilled to be a princess, however her happiness is lived short. The English soon enters Scotland's borders, and thus King Robert calls for war. England declares little mercy for those who defy them, even women, so Majorie must flee for her life, being the only heir of the King of Scotland. But then she is captured in a cage. She is imprisoned for a town square's public display in England. Marjorie must deal with cold, hunger, little privacy, in addition to the cruel mockings of the townspeople. She must also face the King of England, her captor, whose harsh words make her fear for the fate of her family, and the fate of Scotland itself. Nevertheless, Marjorie still remains strong. She does not have a sword, and is not in a bloody battlefield, but she can still wage a war. Marjorie will win the battle against all extremities, for she is not only a Princess by her father, but a Princess by heart.