1. The Shakespeare Stealer By Gary Blackwood

2. Plot  A fourteen-year-old boy, known as Widge, has nothing. He's an orphan, he doesn't even know his real name. His only talent in a shorthand language that is valuable to his master, a clergyman, who uses Widge to steal other preachers' sermons. Widge is then sold to a new master who has heard of his shorthand skills and wants William Shakespeare's Hamlet, which hasn't been reprinted yet, for himself. Widge is given the assignment to write the play out in shorthand, and sets off to London, with a companion named Falconer. Falconer is a ruthless man, who is given the job of making sure that the deed is accomplished, no matter what. But during the play performance, Widge is so caught up in the play that before long, all he wants is to know what happens in the play. When he returns for a second try, his notebook is stolen. He tries to come back, posing as a hopeful player. He befriends them and they make him feel like a part of a family. He begins to deliberate various moral issues he never would have thought of before, including where his loyalties should lie.

3. Characters  Widge is a 14-year-old orphan who is hired by the mysterious Simon Bass to write down the whole of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in shorthand. When he is unwittingly hired by The Globe Theatre, he becomes friends with the players, and although he is fearful of his master, he is reluctant to steal the play. Sander is an actor at the Globe who is one of the first to become friends with Widge. Julian is another actor and friend of Widge who later turns out to be a courageous girl dressing as a boy, since girls were not allowed to act on stage. Falconer is the evil master intent upon stealing Shakespeare’s play for his own profit. It is later discovered that he is Simon Bass in disguise.

4. My Options  Okay I really enjoyed this book it’s a awesome book it keeps you wondering what’s going to happen next and who is he going to be loyal to. Its easy to read its really cool how they put you in Queen Elizabeth’s time so like you get a feel for that time and it shows what it was like at that time and its awesome how you get to know the characters and you get to learn about the how it was acting in a theatre and a lot of other stuff about it while you are reading this awesome book. 