From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Eleven-year-old Forrest is the son of the Ravenmaster in the Tower of London. Historically, this position, which fell to one of the Tower guards, was to care for the ravens that live within the walls of the fortress as a token of luck to keep it from falling to its enemies. Forrest has grown up in the Tower and has his own pet raven, Tuck. He feels confined and sheltered from the outside world. Bullies make fun of him. When dangerous Scottish rebels are captured and imprisoned, he hopes to show his bravery. His responsibility, however, turns out to be to take food to the young daughter of one of the rebels. As he learns more about Maddy, he comes to admire and respect her, and realizes that if he does not help her escape, she will be executed. To do so, though, he will have to go against all he has been taught. The story has its share of suspense, excitement, and interesting characters. Set in 1735, it does not flinch from describing the brutality of the time, including public hangings, which Forrest's mother loves to attend. While some of the plot elements may seem unrealistic and the ending too pat, the story is certainly satisfying. Its message of judging people on their own merits and not on the basis of stereotypes comes across strongly. An author's note, a history of the Tower of London, and a glossary of unfamiliar English and Scottish words are appended.
Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NCCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Gr. 4-7. An absorbing historical adventure with a unique and colorful setting. Eleven-year-old Forrest lives at the Tower of London, where his father is Ravenmaster, the yeoman warder whose job is to guard prisoners and care for the famous ravens that live within the walls. Though often lonely, Forrest makes three friends: a raven, a young rat catcher, and, more dangerously, a Scottish girl imprisoned in the Bloody Tower. Soon the children become involved in an intrigue that is both dangerous and treasonous. Woodruff offers vivid sensory images of eighteenth-century London in a story that brings together children from three classes of society. The novel can be read for its exciting plot and sympathetic characters, but readers will also sense its underlying theme of courage, as Forrest seeks to prove to himself--and to others--that he is brave. In an unusual but welcome move, Woodruff appends a glossary, bibliography, and five pages of notes on "The Tower through Time."
Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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