The Thieves of Tyburn Square: Introducing Elizabeth Fry (Trailblazer Books) - Softcover

Jackson, Dave; Jackson, Neta

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1939445205 ISBN 13: 9781939445209

Publisher: Castle Rock Creative, Incorporated, 2016

Synopsis

THE THIEVES OF TYBURN SQUARE, Introducing Elizabeth Fry -- Betsey and Loren Maxwell are on their own in early nineteenth-century England after their mother is deported to New South Wales for stealing two silver candlesticks. Faced with few options, the young Maxwells are forced to live and work in a gloomy London workhouse. Betsey and her brother have a terrible time enduring the harsh treatment and strict rules of the workhouse overseers. Then Loren sees an opportunity to escape, and the pair soon find themselves back on the dangerous streets of London—with only a stolen pouch of money to support them. Their new life takes a disastrous turn when Betsey and Loren are jailed for pickpocketing in Tyburn Square. Betsey is terrified that she’ll never see her brother or mother again, but a visit from a kind Quaker woman named Elizabeth Fry gives her courage. Can this compassionate prison reformer save Betsey and her brother from the gallows in Tyburn Square? Alone and in prison with no one to turn to . . .

About this title

About the Author

Dave and Neta Jackson, husband and wife writing team, are the authors or coauthors of more than 120 books that have sold over 2.5 million copies. They are best known for the 40-volume Trailblazer Books series for young readers and the Hero Tales series for families. Adults love their Yada Yada Prayer Group series, House of Hope series, Harry Bentley series, and Windy City Neighbors series along with numerous nonfiction books. They make their home in the Chicago area. Find out more about them at www.daveneta.com.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-6. The latest subject in the Trailblazer Books series is Elizabeth Fry, a Quaker who lived in the early 1800s and fought for prison reform. As in the previous series books, the authors dramatize a historical subject by adding fictionalized children to the cast of characters. After their mother is deported, Betsey and Loren Maxwell are left to their own devices and eventually turn to picking pockets to support themselves. When they are caught and jailed, Elizabeth Fry enters the picture, intervening on their behalf. The characters are flat, with Levy the most convincing, but the book does lend insight into the Quaker faith and its commitment to social causes, and an appended fact section will give kids additional details about Fry's struggles to obtain more humane treatment for prisoners. A bibliography is also included. Shelley Townsend-Hudson

About this edition

• Publisher: Castle Rock Creative, Incorporated
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1939445205
• ISBN 13: 9781939445209
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 142