Publisher and Publication Date: Candlewick Press.  September 28, 2021.
Genre: Fantasy fiction. Young adult literature.
Pages: 247.
Format: e-book library copy.
Source: Library.
Audience: Young adult literature. Ages 9 to 12.
Rating: Excellent.

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Website for Kate DiCamillo.

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Summary:

Brother Edik found a female child in the monastery barn beside a goat named Answelica. The child is sick with fever. Edik cares for the child. Answelica does not leave the child’s side. The child recovers and tells them her name is Beatryce. Meanwhile, the king is searching for a young girl who is in a prophecy called the Chronicles. Beatryce’s life is in danger. Anyone who has information about her or hides her is in danger.

My Thoughts:

I love this story!

It’s unique.
It’s creative.
It’s imaginative.
It’s a moral story.
It’s a story that is meaningful and memorable.

I love it that an animal is a character in the story. Answelica enriches the story. She brings a quirkiness; but she’s also devoted, loyal, and a comforting friend to Beatryce.

Brother Edik is a strong character. He is calm, docile, a peacemaker, and he is courageous. He is a character that is underestimated, just as the goat as a character can be underestimated in their abilities. He is a person that despite the fear of what might happen to him, he is an advocate and protector of Beatryce.

Beatryce has a gift. She is also wise. She has qualities that are significant, but they are wrapped in the small package of a child.

Brother Edik and Answelica are characters that have outstanding features, but Kate DiCamillo gives each of them an imperfection. Their imperfections bring them down to the level of real and relatable. On one hand the story has fantasy features, but it is balanced with relatable and admirable characters.

An introduction of another character, Jack, brings an additional human who is Beatryce’s advocate.

The Beatryce Prophecy is about doing the right thing. It is about having the wisdom and courage to do the right thing. It is doing the right thing regardless of what may happen.

The story has internal and external conflicts that help propel the story

The story is written for a young audience, but I enjoyed it!

It is a story with themes of charity, hospitality, grace, knowledge, forgiveness, kindness, compassion, heroism, innocence, injustice, justice, sacrifice, bravery, beauty, and trust.