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She Was Nice to Mice
The memoirs of a literary mouse living at the court of Elizabeth I reveal the public and private life of the Queen and her courtiers.
Written by Ally Sheedy when she was 12.
Written by Ally Sheedy when she was 12.
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First published January 1, 1975
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 1, 2018
Written by the actress Ally Sheedy (well, Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy) when she only twelve years old. It's been on my shelf for a zillion years, and I finally cracked it open.
It tells the story of a mouse who resides in the court of Elizabeth I and keeps a diary of her observations. There is a framing story of a modern-day mouse who is bequeathed this diary.
It's quite clever for a person so young to have written, and little Alexandra certainly did a lot of research into the Elizabethan era.
But, just as parts of it are mature for her age, it's sometimes adorably naive. Some have remarked about a scene they think of as shocking, wherein Essex is hidden under her bed as Elizabeth removes her many outer garments. (The outrage is a bit excessive, considering that he is hiding rather than watching—and says so later—and the undergarments she has on are more than some people's whole outfits consist of these days. I guess they would be shocked by a nightdress or a union suit as well.)
It's a little more odd (for a children's book) when Elizabeth and Essex retire to bed together, but the scene ends there, as the observing mouse wishes to give them privacy. It reminds me of myself at the same age as the writer, when my Barbies would go on dates with G.I. Joe, then I'd put them on the cot in the tent and close the flap and wait. I had some inkling that these things were done, but I didn't know the details, so, like the mouse, I just exited the scene.
The details of the beheading are pretty dark, and I suppose it has bothered some folks, too. I'm of the opinion that if a kid is clever enough to read this book and be interested in it (especially the historical detail and mature vocabulary), they can probably handle a historically true beheading and some offstage intimacy. To each parent his own, though.
I wish I'd read it as a child, because it's exactly the sort of thing I would have liked. Maybe more 12 year-olds should write books—especially if they're this intelligent.
It tells the story of a mouse who resides in the court of Elizabeth I and keeps a diary of her observations. There is a framing story of a modern-day mouse who is bequeathed this diary.
It's quite clever for a person so young to have written, and little Alexandra certainly did a lot of research into the Elizabethan era.
But, just as parts of it are mature for her age, it's sometimes adorably naive. Some have remarked about a scene they think of as shocking, wherein Essex is hidden under her bed as Elizabeth removes her many outer garments. (The outrage is a bit excessive, considering that he is hiding rather than watching—and says so later—and the undergarments she has on are more than some people's whole outfits consist of these days. I guess they would be shocked by a nightdress or a union suit as well.)
It's a little more odd (for a children's book) when Elizabeth and Essex retire to bed together, but the scene ends there, as the observing mouse wishes to give them privacy. It reminds me of myself at the same age as the writer, when my Barbies would go on dates with G.I. Joe, then I'd put them on the cot in the tent and close the flap and wait. I had some inkling that these things were done, but I didn't know the details, so, like the mouse, I just exited the scene.
The details of the beheading are pretty dark, and I suppose it has bothered some folks, too. I'm of the opinion that if a kid is clever enough to read this book and be interested in it (especially the historical detail and mature vocabulary), they can probably handle a historically true beheading and some offstage intimacy. To each parent his own, though.
I wish I'd read it as a child, because it's exactly the sort of thing I would have liked. Maybe more 12 year-olds should write books—especially if they're this intelligent.
August 23, 2008
Picked this up after I found out Ally Sheedy (from Breakfast Club, among others) wrote this when she was twelve! I was interested in knowing what kind of story a twelve year old (Ally Sheedy, no less!!!) would write. Well it turns out to be a very odd, yet interesting book. The framing device is completely unneeded and the plot doesn't actually go anywhere, but it's still a very good book for other reasons. Part of it is that it's a children's book written by a child, and some parts contain things you wouldn't find in other children's books: sex, beheadings, etc. Also Sheedy's mind works in funny ways, and the book is very "fresh". You can tell that Sheedy had been reading a lot about her subject as well as some novels, so it's interesting what kinds of devices and conventions she uses here and which ones she completely ignores. I really enjoyed this book, and I hope she continues to write more.
October 25, 2008
I don't know about this paperback edition, but I had a lovely tiny hardback with a white cover and the original line art in black. My mother bought this for me and I adored it. Fun fact: the author is Ally Sheedy of Breakfast Club fame and she wrote it when she was 12.
May 25, 2019
Picked this up as a curio that I had heard of. It's not great, neither text nor illustrations - but these were 12-year-old girls (there are probably plenty of efforts of similar quality now that either never circulate beyond family or exist on the web). Still, I don't know that it's anything worth seeking out. I imagine there are better juvenile historical fictions that address Elizabeth and Essex.
The USE OF ALL CAPITALS TO DEPICT EMOTION gets real tired real soon.
The USE OF ALL CAPITALS TO DEPICT EMOTION gets real tired real soon.
May 9, 2008
I adored this book when I was a child. My mother bought it for me when it first came out, as I had loved both The Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R on Masterpiece Theatre. Good choice, Mom!
July 10, 2016
I read this lovely little book when it was first released, back in 1975, enchanted at the time by the notion that the writer and illustrator were both so close to me in age. I found it deeply engrossing, from the miniature world of palace mice to the Elizabethan court intrigue. It was a book I returned to many times, a fascinating blend of whimsy and darkness. Sheedy never flinched from that darkness, of love betrayed, sex, death, and madness. The queen's gradual decay, both physically as well and mentally, is portrayed with compassion and sensitivity, a remarkable feat when one remembers that the author was only 12 at the time of publication. Indeed, I find it quite amusing that many prudish online reviewers have chosen to focus more on 12 year old Sheedy's very mild suggestions of Elizabeth I's sexuality than the monarch's heartbreaking loneliness and despair at the close of the book, so well written by such a young author.
I am grateful that I read this long before the public was aware of Ally Sheedy the actress, I had no such baggage as an early fan of this book. I will treasure Sheedy's first work as I did as a child: that writing stories and making art will always be possible for those who wish to create.
I am grateful that I read this long before the public was aware of Ally Sheedy the actress, I had no such baggage as an early fan of this book. I will treasure Sheedy's first work as I did as a child: that writing stories and making art will always be possible for those who wish to create.
May 14, 2012
I was influenced by this book because I knew that a 12-year old girl wrote it. "If she can publish a book, I can do it," is what I told myself in second grade.
May 26, 2013
Written by Ally Sheedy at age 12, this book was a little too weird. It's told from a mouse's point of view and there is a sex scene. Wow.
March 15, 2013
Picked this up because it was written by the young Ally Sheedy (of 1980's movie fame). The story is about life from a mouse's perspective in Queen Elizabeth's court.
It's a strange little book that I'd hesitate to classify as a real children's book (even though it was written by a youth) mostly because Elizabeth and Essex are portrayed as being lovers -- there's no explicit love scenes exactly but it's plainly presented that the two sleep together. I thought this was kind of odd coming from a young person and in view of the subject being the Virgin Queen. (Maybe it's also because I ship Elizabeth with Dudley over Essex any day!)
Interesting read if you're curious what little Miss Sheedy was thinking about. She obviously was into Queen Elizabeth and her world for a while. As for the mice, they're pretty cute. Seems like a bit of a vanity book as in I could see the parents promoting this one. While it probably is better than what a lot of twelve-year-olds could turn out, it's no classic.
2.5
It's a strange little book that I'd hesitate to classify as a real children's book (even though it was written by a youth) mostly because Elizabeth and Essex are portrayed as being lovers -- there's no explicit love scenes exactly but it's plainly presented that the two sleep together. I thought this was kind of odd coming from a young person and in view of the subject being the Virgin Queen. (Maybe it's also because I ship Elizabeth with Dudley over Essex any day!)
Interesting read if you're curious what little Miss Sheedy was thinking about. She obviously was into Queen Elizabeth and her world for a while. As for the mice, they're pretty cute. Seems like a bit of a vanity book as in I could see the parents promoting this one. While it probably is better than what a lot of twelve-year-olds could turn out, it's no classic.
2.5
January 29, 2008
Mom read this to me when i was very young. A good one to learn about a historical figure for a child.
April 2, 2013
I read this when a child, and I just loved it. Started a life-long interest in Elizabeth I. And in writing my own book.
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March 1, 2022Some tangential issues here and there and not fully coherent, but there's still something about this book that's playful and imaginative, and has this sort of tone where it's like a kid's book that taps into some pretty dark territory (like with the descriptions of historical beheadings and so forth.) Obviously not too explicit, and it's really well-written and illustrated when you put it in the context of it having a 12 year old author and a 13 year old illustrator (the depiction of anthropomorphic mice with the hatching techniques and the clean, simple visuals is quite impressive).
The writer Ally Sheedy is probably better known for appearing in movies such as The Breakfast Club and WarGames, and there's a considerable amount of early promise with the writing style and skill presented here, even though Sheedy wound up not perusing writing and went into acting instead. Definitely a lot better than how I wrote at 12 years old, anyway.
The writer Ally Sheedy is probably better known for appearing in movies such as The Breakfast Club and WarGames, and there's a considerable amount of early promise with the writing style and skill presented here, even though Sheedy wound up not perusing writing and went into acting instead. Definitely a lot better than how I wrote at 12 years old, anyway.
November 13, 2018
This book was listed as a corresponding literature selection in The Story of the World Vol. II. I chose it and was reading it aloud to my son, age 8.
While I personally thought it was pretty reasonable, I put it down when the neighbor kids came over. It just so happened to coincide with the part where Q. E. I and Essex have sex. I was so taken aback by what was happening in the story that I was grateful for the interruption. I didn't pick it up to finish it.
This was recommended as a homeschool supplement in a textbook targeted for 3rd or 4th graders. The book is only 95 pages and there were two obvious references to sex in the first half; the first being a simple phrase that my kids probably wouldn't get; the second was about as subtle as a hand grenade. On its own, I think it's fine. But it was a bit much for my 3rd grader.
While I personally thought it was pretty reasonable, I put it down when the neighbor kids came over. It just so happened to coincide with the part where Q. E. I and Essex have sex. I was so taken aback by what was happening in the story that I was grateful for the interruption. I didn't pick it up to finish it.
This was recommended as a homeschool supplement in a textbook targeted for 3rd or 4th graders. The book is only 95 pages and there were two obvious references to sex in the first half; the first being a simple phrase that my kids probably wouldn't get; the second was about as subtle as a hand grenade. On its own, I think it's fine. But it was a bit much for my 3rd grader.
April 20, 2022
A modern mouse is sent the memoir of them ancestor wheel lived during Queen Elizabeth I's reign. We learn about the Queen's love of the Earl of Essex, his love for her niece, Arabella Stuart,
and her friendship with Shakespeare.
Written my a pre-teen (12), the author demonstrates a strong command of descriptive language equal to any adult.
If her age weren't printed on the cover, the reader wouldn't know, or care as the tale is engaging, and well-researched.
An historical novel with an entertaining perspective.
and her friendship with Shakespeare.
Written my a pre-teen (12), the author demonstrates a strong command of descriptive language equal to any adult.
If her age weren't printed on the cover, the reader wouldn't know, or care as the tale is engaging, and well-researched.
An historical novel with an entertaining perspective.
January 25, 2018
This is a fun quick read that was written by a twelve year old. I'm auditioning books written by children to read with my seven year old niece, and this one has some mature content so it's a no-go, but I had fun reading it.
June 14, 2024
She Was Nice to Mice: The Other Side of Elizabeth I's Character Never Before Revealed by Previous Historians is a wonderful story that I would recommend to anyone looking for a quick, enjoyable—yet seemingly “realistic”—fiction book.
May 21, 2019
Funny!
July 7, 2019
A wonderful book written by a 12 year old!
September 16, 2022
So very wordy, But quite a fun story for a 12 year old author.
January 18, 2025
[3.5 stars] Charming! As long as you know that it was written by a 12-year-old (a very literate, very well read 12-year-old) and illustrated by an extremely talented 13-year-old.
Available at https://archive.org/details/shewasnic...
Available at https://archive.org/details/shewasnic...
September 18, 2022
Härlig historia från Elizabeth I's hov på 1500-talet, skrivet av en 13-åring! Som senare kom att bli skådespelerska. Jag köpte den i Frankrike, på franska 1977: "Mémoires d'une souricette", för att min lärare där älskade den och rekommenderade den.
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May 11, 2008Saw an except of this in Seventeen when I was in High School. It was the first book I had special ordered. Still have the book, loved it, still pick it up. It's cute.
Read
July 31, 2011Impressive given the age of the writer. Its kind of Beatrix Potter meets The Borrower's plus Ben and Me, set in the Elizabethan era.
Surprizingly though, not at /all/ G rated.
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August 11, 2011Otherwise known as 'Allie Sheedy'. Yep. That one. Written when she was young. Amusing, quick read about England's Queen Elizabeth I.
March 29, 2013
Sweet little book about the mice in the palace of Elizabeth I. Nice break!
November 20, 2013
Very good but short book
July 8, 2015
I forgot all about this good one.
December 28, 2015
fun read. Too bad Miss Sheedy didn't do more historical research.
December 27, 2023
Meh. I am not a fan of this short children's story because it comes across flat to me.
⚪️Internet Archive.
⚪️Internet Archive.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews