This was a read-a-loud to introduce Shakespeare to my children. They enjoyed it, I was not crazy bout it as a read-a-loud, but it would be enjoyed as an easy read independently. ( )

Things are disappearing mysteriously and everyone’s eyes are on Widge, the former thief. He knows better than anyone that the costumes, plays, and people at The Globe must be protected at all costs, so he takes up the ultimate role: a spy. But can he pull it off? Can Widge dig through the suspects and catch the real culprit?

Widge and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men are back in London, in the third book of the Shakespeare series- Shakespeare’s Spy. In this sequel to Shakespeare’s Scribe, Widge decides to visit a Fortune Teller. All he knew was that he would come into a fortune. But what the Fortune Teller didn’t tell him who is stealing from the company. There’s a thief among the company, forcing Widge to go undercover and unmask the real culprit. But, with Queen Elizabeth’s health failing, the thrown is up for grabs causing a lot of anxiety over her successor and the future of the theaters. Then an unexpected arrival of Mr. Shakespeare’s daughter, Judith, throws not only her father over the edge but Widge as well. For the first time, Widge felt something different inside him, love. Yet, that still dosen’t make up for the mysterious disappearing’s of costumes and plays at The Globe. In this book, Widge is tested. Will he find the culprit? Will he be the one to blame in all this disappearing?

What I really like about this book is that is that they bring back history along with the old language and new words. For example, ken is know. At first this was hard to understand but once you do, it will make the book much easier to understand. In conclusion, Shakespeare’s Spy is a great read for anyone who is willing to learn a little bit about the history of William Shakespeare. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes some romance, some acting, and a lot of history.

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As one of the prentices in the Chamberlain's Men, Widge has plenty to worry about: the plague, Queen Elizabeth's health and what that means for the future of theater in England, and the competition between his company (Shakespeare's company) and the Admiral's Men.

Like the other books in the series, Shakespeare's Spy is rife with historical details and definitely well-researched. I recognized both historical fact and surmise related to Shakespeare that I first learned in college classes, and it was fun to see Blackwood's take on it. Though Widge is a really fun character, I was often frustrated with the loose plot in which the most interesting elements were loose ends tied up from the previous two books. I never felt fully invested in what was happening, and things happened in such a meandering manner that I wasn't made to feel any tension either. ( )

A fortune-teller predicts strange things ahead for Widge - a fortune, death on his hands, and a miraculous revival as well - but she does not tell him what he wants to know most: what to do to impress Shakespeare's beautiful daughter, Judith, and how to scrape together enough money to rescue Julia from dire straits in France. All of this rests on Widge's head along with the arduous task of writing his own play, being accused of stealing props and costumes, and fearing what will happen when the Queen's illness leaves England without a monarch.

Stakes are high in the last of the Shakespeare Stealer series, and Widge is in the thick of everything, as usual. This was so over-the-top with persecuted Catholics, mysterious potions, and Widge scribbling away at Timon of Athens that it almost didn't bother me any more. The problem, as in the last, is less with the unlikely events and more with the insufficient motivation. Why on earth does Widge LIKE Judith? Why is he determined to shoulder the blame for everything that comes along? Why can the company not afford to hire more apprentices when they're left with one out of the five they had before? It just doesn't make sense - not even crazy-fiction sense.

Still no real Shakespeare except for the title. More angst over things that don't seem to matter much and no lingering on the things that feel like they should matter more. And the twist that turns Widge into a spy felt very contrived. It's hard to trick readers in first person narratives and not feel dishonest. This didn't succeed.

Probably would have been okay if I had read it when I was eleven. It doesn't work now. The explanations of Elizabethan life are the same ones as in the first two books, and we learn little more. I wanted to know what happened to Julia more than I cared about Widge... ( )

Widge, an orphan boy turned actor, is a member of William Shakespeare's company. When things start going missing from backstage, Widge sets out to find the guilty party. Meanwhile, he also starts to write a play of his own.