Title The Beatryce Prophecy
Author Kate DiCamillo
Age Recommendation 8-13
Published by Penguin Random House
“It is written in the Chronicles of Sorrowing that one day there will come a child who will unseat a king. The prophecy states that this child will be a girl. Because of this, the prophecy has long been ignored.”
Find It On:
A goat with an attitude, a timid monk, an orphan boy, a man with a beard, and a girl who would be king find themselves on a quest in this medieval setting.
Brother Edik stumbles upon a girl sleeping in the barn at the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing monastery. The girl is dirty and running a fever, and she’s unusual not because she is lost but because Brother Edik discovers that she is a girl who can read.
Girls are forbidden to read at this time.
He knows this is a secret that he must keep, which makes Brother Edik takes a great interest in the girl, as does, Answelica, the monetary goat with large teeth and a horrid attitude. While most fear Answelica, the girl finds comfort in her.
Brother Edik realizes that Beatryce could well be the girl mentioned in prophecy in their Chronicles of Sorrowing, a prophecy of a girl child who will come one day and “unseat a king.” The king also knows about the prophecy and has decided to search out and destroy this girl before the prophecy can be fulfilled. As danger approached the monastery, the three set off into the woods. Along the way, the unlikely trio meets others who join along their great quest.
“We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.”
Told like a fable or a fairytale, readers experience unlikely friendships, the importance of reading, and the power of imagination through a delightful cast of characters.
Wonderfully illustrated by Sophie Blackall, bringing delicate visual magic to this hopeful and joyous tale. Readers will enjoy this piece of middle-grade magic. Families will find this book to be a cozy read-aloud for all ages.
