![]() Clearly Danticat wants our sympathy lying fully on the side of the Taínos (and Anacoana), but I couldn’t help but be reminded of the total general brutality of all life in all places at that time. For example, the Taíno man who killed himself because he lost a game and the sad acceptance of it contrasted to the fear of the Kalinas (or the Caribs, who were notoriously violent and possibly even cannibalistic) stealing and killing and conquering the Taínos contrasted to the rough and coarse Spaniards who take control over an entire village and commit harmful acts on the innocent inhabitants in search of gold. It was interesting the way all the different cultural groups were described and though there was an obvious Most Evil group (I mean, is anyone going to be surprised if I say it’s the Spaniards?), some of the contrasts I found interesting. I suppose they think that children won’t care. I wish Danticat had been more vocal about the sources utilized, but these books, while obviously researched, never actually give a list of that research, unfortunately. The story sheds light on a little-known (in mainstream history) people group and the early history of a Caribbean island (Haiti), though of course most people going into this book will guess where it’s heading (the book covers 1490 to1492, the year the Spaniards arrived). ![]() It’s a nice touch and a good lesson on the way Anacaona’s people (the Taíno of early Hispaniola) passed down stories throughout the generations. Rating: 2/5 Anacaona, like Weetamoo, begins with an author’s note that reiterates the non-written communication of the people of the time and gives another interpretation of the pages of this book rather than a traditional diary format. Info: Carolyn Meyer published 2003 by Scholastic Genre: Children’s, Historical Fiction Warnings: None Recommended Age Range: 10+ ![]() Picking up one or two on your favorite ruler or time period, or on a ruler you want to know more about won’t be a bad decision to make. I do think they’re really good basic historical fiction, though-only about a third of them are particularly strong, but all of them have interesting historical information, most of which is very little known for that audience (some, for any audience). And Meyer avoids the whiplash epilogue after spending the whole book talking about how much Kristina wanted to rule by easing the reader into it with some pertinent information before dropping the “AND THEN SHE ABDICATED.” I did get tired of this series about halfway through, but my determination to Finish What I Started forced me to continue, which is probably why I found the back half of this series lackluster. In this Royal Diary, at least, there aren’t very many irrelevant diary entries. ![]() The focus is, of course, on Kristina’s conviction to be “king,” coupled with her desire to be free (hence why she abdicates later on), and Meyer conveys that very well throughout. Meyer does her best to convey so much about adult Kristina’s life in this fictional young Kristina tale, from her mother’s derangement to her inclination towards Catholicism to her appreciation of philosophy and art. Kristina does cover a lot of ground-one thing I’ve noticed about all the Royal Diaries books is how meticulous they are in their research. In general, though the series was more historically detailed and more interesting than many of the Dear America books, I found it to be less exciting overall, with the most books full of “random diary entries about food/clothes/lessons.” Honestly, the thing I’ve enjoyed the most about these stories is the epilogue and historical notes at the end. Rating: 2/5 Kristina: The Girl King is my very last Royal Diaries book, and I can’t say I’m sad to see the series go. ![]()
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