Quest for a Maid by Frances Mary Hendry is one of the best books ever written. It has one of my two very favorite first lines: "When I was nine years old, I hid under a table and heard my sister kill a king."
Don't be misled, though, it isn't a terribly violent book. The main character, Meg, is the younger sister of a witch who decides to reach her ambitions by killing the king (you got the in the first line remember, not really a spoiler). The rest of the book chronicles the events that happen as a result of the king's death and how those repercussions affect Meg and her relationship with her favorite sister (the witch).
Really, the plot is fantastic, but the best part is the characters, especially Meg's fiance (they get engaged when she's nine or so--the setting is very long ago) and her other best friend. You become invested in all the characters--Meg's own parents, her fiance's parents, her sister, and later, the princess, because they are all fleshed out and believable.
If I could be any character in any book, I would be Meg. This really is a must read!
This book is available through the Davis County Library System.
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Hi! I found your blog on the yahoo group for Davis County homeschoolers. I just wanted to tell you THANK YOU for the unit study ideas! I copied and pasted your entire insect unit study -- you have some GREAT ideas. Sometimes you just need to see a good example to figure out where you can go with a subject. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, our children are similar ages (mine are 6,5, almost 4, and one on the way), so I found what you did very relevant to what I can do with my kids.
~Lynette
fellow homeschooler from Weber County. :)