School Library Journal Review

Gr 2-5-Award-winning narrator Jim Weiss brings a slice of Elizabethan English history to life with his storytelling. This album is divided into two sections: the first tells the story of Queen Elizabeth I, and the second shares the story of Sir Francis Drake. In the first part, 70-year-old Queen Elizabeth is lying in her bed and remembering some of the high points of her long and interesting life. She begins by reminiscing about her childhood, her mother's death, and her brother's and then sister's ascensions to the throne. Then she ponders on Queen Mary's passing, her own ascension to the throne, her relationship with Mary Queen of Scots, the failed rebellion of the Earl of Essex, and the confrontation with the Spanish Armada. In the second section, Captain Will Deacon tells Derek, a young boy, stories from the life of Sir Francis Drake. Beginning with his birth and childhood, Deacon recounts Drake's rise to captain of his own ship, his piracy, and the reasons behind his vendetta against Spain. He relates how Drake burned 30 Spanish ships in their own harbor, setting back King Philip's plans to invade England for about a year. Finally, he recounts Drake's defeat of the Spanish Armada, effectively ending Spain's dominance of the seas. There is no background music, only Weiss's cultured voice performing all the various characters. In addition to being useful in history classes, this production will appeal to those with an interest in English history.-Beverly Bixler, San Antonio Public Library, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.