Mary, Queen of Scots: Escape from Lochleven Castle

Mary, Queen of Scots was held at a castle on an island in Loch Leven for nearly a year in 1567–1568. She was not allowed to rule her people or even see them or her baby son. Sir William Douglas, charged with keeping her there, diligently kept her under lock and key. Mary was unable to swim, so even if she could get out of her quarters, it wasn’t likely she could escape. However, Will, the young nephew of Sir William Douglas, knew how sad Mary was and how much she wanted to leave. He set about finding people to help him make a plan for Mary to escape by boat and make her way to her Queen Elisabeth I, Mary’s cousin, to ask for help.

Author Theresa Breslin gives a bit of British history to youngsters in early primary grades with a well-researched historical fiction treatment. The dialogue doesn’t ring very true, but otherwise this is well written and gives a good deal of information. The real star here are the gorgeous illustrations by Teresa Martinez that grace every page and complete the story. Youngsters will enjoy learning about this interesting time in the British Isles.