Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia, England, 1829 (The Royal Diaries) [Hardcover]

Anna Kirwan (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Series: Royal Diaries

In 1829, nine-year-old Victoria begins a journal chronicling her life as an English princess. Includes information on the reign, marriage, and family life of Queen Victoria and English civilization during that period.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Being a princess is not all glittery parties and lavish holidays by the sea. Well, actually, it is, but it's not all fun. Young Princess Victoria is constantly surrounded by family and advisors, allowing her no privacy and very few opportunities to express herself until she purloins an old ledger book from one of Kensington Palace's stables. She promptly begins recording her secrets, daily trials, and naughty witticisms (her uncle, King George IV, has big, plump hands, "the size of a plucked quail.") in this very incongruous journal. The biggest secret of all, however, is one that is kept from our heroine. It is not until well into her two-year-long diary that Victoria pieces together her family tree to discover that she is next in line to the throne. This intriguing installment of the Royal Diaries series will inspire many readers to delve deeper into Queen Victoria's life as the longest reigning queen of England. Author Anna Kirwan's fictionalized account is entertaining and enlightening, packed with facts about royal customs in the early 19th century. Historical notes, a family tree, and photos provide more factual information for the curious reader. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-A charming portrayal of three years in the childhood of Queen Victoria. The nine-year-old begins by confessing that she stole a livestock ledger from the stable in order to have a journal in which to write her private thoughts. She fills the pages with details of life in Kensington Palace, from the menu at breakfast, her daily lessons and tutoring sessions to a ball given by her uncle the King, a vacation by the sea, and the negative influence of Captain Conroy, one of her mother's advisers. Throughout, the princess exhibits a shrewd awareness of palace life and a growing sense of the larger role she is being prepared for and must shortly assume. An epilogue reveals that Victoria became Queen just after her 18th birthday. While at first the young princess's voice appears a bit mature, as readers learn more about her demanding education and extraordinary upbringing, she becomes more plausible. A historical note, photographs, a family tree, and a glossary of characters round out the novel. Fans of the series will be delighted.

Kristen Oravec, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Strongsville, OH

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 219 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; First edition. edition (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439215986
• ISBN-13: 978-0439215985
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #148,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #80 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Europe

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Book, June 23, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia, England, 1829 (The Royal Diaries) (Hardcover)

I own this book. I really like it. It's about a young girl who is in the Royal English family. Her life is taken over by Sir Conroy, who is determined to make her a perfect little girl. Victoria can't stand Sir Conroy, and wishes he were sent away. One day, she realizes that after King George IV and Uncle William die, she will be Queen. Then things start to get serious as Victoria is tested by many people, to see how smart she is. Her mother's governess De Spaeth is sent away, and Victoria wonders if anyone else will go, too including her governess Lehzen. It was a very good book, with only a little details missing which is pretty rare for me! You should read this book!

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling New Royal Diary!, October 19, 2001

By 

hiphopgirl_1000 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia, England, 1829 (The Royal Diaries) (Hardcover)

Ten-year-old Victoria might be the princess of England but her life is horrible. Being the princess deprives her of all her privacy except for the secret diary which is her only refuge. Her personal thougts can only be a secret there. In her precious diary she describes the fact that her father the former King of England who died when she was just a baby, and the sad fact that she has not a single memory of him, and the fact that for this reason her mother treats her like a baby and won't allow her to have a regular life fearful she would get sick. She also describes her life with the tiresome parties, lessons, and going to the palace by the sea. However she also has bigger things to worry about such as her mother's personal advisor who she feels is up to no good and distrustful while handling the fact the her uncle, now the King of England's health is deterioting. Young Victoria pours her feeling out in this book on her hopes, aspiration, and the duty of being princess that weighs down on her. In this book about the longest ruling queen of England you will truly see the feelings of a young girl who is truly helpless about the world around her but still carries hope. In many ways you can relate some of her life to ours today. I love this new Royal Diaries book and I think this debut title by Anne Kirwan couldn't have been better!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new Royal Diaries book about Victoria's childhood., October 17, 2001

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia, England, 1829 (The Royal Diaries) (Hardcover)

Ten-year-old Victoria is a princess, but her life is anything but easy. Her father died when she was less than a year old, and she has no memories of him. Being a princess means having no privacy, which is why she decides to write her personal thoughts and feelings down in a secret diary. She describes her life at Kensington Palace, attending parties, going on summer holidays by the sea, her tiresome lessons, her dislike and distrust of her mother's financial advisor, her worries over the deteriorating health of her uncle, who is the King, and more. In this book, the young Victoria, between ages ten and twelve, comes alive as a very real girl with feelings, hopes, and dreams. I highly reccomend this newest book from the Royal Diaries series.