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Raleigh's Page
ANDREW HAS grown up near the Plymouth docks hearing the sailors talk about America. Knowing that Andrew's heart is set on going to the new world, his father sends him up to London to serve as page in the house of Walter Raleigh. In Queen Elizabeth's court, Raleigh's the strongest voice in favor of fighting with Spain for a position in the New World, and everyone knows that it's just a matter of time before Her Majesty agrees to an expedition. Can Andrew prove himself fit to go on an expedition to the New World?
Meticulously researched and brilliantly crafted, combining fictional characters with historical, Andrew's tale offers up a vivid look at the cloakand- dagger politics of the time and a genuine feel for what it must have been like for the first Europeans to set foot on the beautiful, bountiful, savage shores of America.
Meticulously researched and brilliantly crafted, combining fictional characters with historical, Andrew's tale offers up a vivid look at the cloakand- dagger politics of the time and a genuine feel for what it must have been like for the first Europeans to set foot on the beautiful, bountiful, savage shores of America.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
5 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Alan Armstrong
57 books23 followersAlan Armstrong started volunteering in a friend's bookshop when he was eight. At 14, he was selling books at Brentano's. As an adult, every so often, he takes to the road in a VW bus named Zora to peddle used books. He is the editor of Forget Not Mee & My Garden, a collection of the letters of Peter Collinson, the 18th-century mercer and amateur botanist. He lives with his wife, Martha, a painter, in Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 12, 2009
I enjoyed this book. However, when Andrew (main character) left Great Britain for America, it became a little confusing. Armstrong's writing wasn't as clear and the sequence of events became quite convoluted. I predict kids getting to about three quarters of the way through and stopping because they can't figure out what's going on.
February 3, 2019
A lively insight into Elizabethan England through a focus on Sir Walter Raleigh and his campaign to explore America. Thoroughly researched, the details sometimes overshadow the plot; nevertheless, Andrew, the young page, is an engaging character who is empathetic, resourceful, and winsome.
The first half of the book is more clearly engaging as Andrew arrives from the country to Raleigh’s London house to become his page. Looking in on Elizabethan politics and her court is fascinating. However, once Andrew lands in Roanoke, the story is darker and somewhat tangled in its telling.
Overall, a recommended read for those interested in old England and new America history.
The first half of the book is more clearly engaging as Andrew arrives from the country to Raleigh’s London house to become his page. Looking in on Elizabethan politics and her court is fascinating. However, once Andrew lands in Roanoke, the story is darker and somewhat tangled in its telling.
Overall, a recommended read for those interested in old England and new America history.
February 21, 2020
Set in Europe and colonial America- well researched-Sir Walter Reliegh's teenage page travels to Roanoke VA to explore. It is full of adventure with sea voyage & new world as well as everyday life in England at the time.
August 13, 2010
Book Talk: Andrew grew up listening to his teacher talk about the opportunities and beauty waiting in the new Eden called America, but the land seemed as impossibly far away to him as the original garden of paradise. Then, one day, his father writes a letter to Sir Walter Raleigh negotiating the terms of making Andrew his page. Before he knows it he is in London working for one of the Queen's favorites--an eccentric aristocrat who is obsessed with the idea of American colonization. But there are many bumps to overcome on the road to America and Andrew must risk his life repeatedly as a spy gathering intelligence, acquiring tools, and on the rocky waves of a sea in a storm. And once he gets to America it's not the peaceful paradise he's expecting.
Rocks My Socks: The book is very well researched and I learned a lot of fascinating details about the time period. The characters were interesting and endearing, one of my favorites being the French gardener who also works for Raleigh.
Rocks In My Socks: As much as I love good research I felt that the author stuck too closely to the historical facts he was able to uncover. At points he gave too many details and at times and I found myself skimming from boredom, especially when he had paragraph-long lists, for example of specific items packed on the ship. I also felt that he could have invented more--the book was interesting because of its historical setting, but the plot on its own would not have been enough to hold my attention. There isn't much of a story arc, the protagonist (or any other character) doesn't really go through any major changes and I got no sense of rising action, climax, and falling action at the end. I felt as if he just had finished the period he wanted to discuss so he ended it.
Every Book Its Reader: I'd recommend this to children ages 9-12 who are studying the beginnings of America in history. Adding a bit of a story and fleshing out the world of that era should be interesting to someone learning the dry facts and help them to understand the times better. The book should be able to be enjoyed by boys and girls but it is definitely geared more towards boys as every major character is male and there is no major romantic subplot (although I'm sure many girls might appreciate that as well, even I found it a bit refreshing.)
Read more of my reviews at http://auldschoollibrarian.blogspot.com
Rocks My Socks: The book is very well researched and I learned a lot of fascinating details about the time period. The characters were interesting and endearing, one of my favorites being the French gardener who also works for Raleigh.
Rocks In My Socks: As much as I love good research I felt that the author stuck too closely to the historical facts he was able to uncover. At points he gave too many details and at times and I found myself skimming from boredom, especially when he had paragraph-long lists, for example of specific items packed on the ship. I also felt that he could have invented more--the book was interesting because of its historical setting, but the plot on its own would not have been enough to hold my attention. There isn't much of a story arc, the protagonist (or any other character) doesn't really go through any major changes and I got no sense of rising action, climax, and falling action at the end. I felt as if he just had finished the period he wanted to discuss so he ended it.
Every Book Its Reader: I'd recommend this to children ages 9-12 who are studying the beginnings of America in history. Adding a bit of a story and fleshing out the world of that era should be interesting to someone learning the dry facts and help them to understand the times better. The book should be able to be enjoyed by boys and girls but it is definitely geared more towards boys as every major character is male and there is no major romantic subplot (although I'm sure many girls might appreciate that as well, even I found it a bit refreshing.)
Read more of my reviews at http://auldschoollibrarian.blogspot.com
November 4, 2012
Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com
As the youngest son, Andrew Saintleger is destined for whatever life his father decides he should have. When his father chooses, just before Andrew's twelfth birthday, to take him to London and arrange for him to train and work under Sir Walter Raleigh, Andrew knows he is the luckiest boy around.
Rumor has it that Sir Walter has turned his sights on America. Andrew knows all about America. His teacher, Master Tremayne, is nearly obsessed with the New World and has been drilling all of the students on it all year. So much so that half of the students have become enthralled with it. And now, Andrew may actually get to go!
Adventures on the road to London are nothing compared to the life that Andrew is about to jump in to. Nothing can prepare him for the strange life that Sir Walter leads, and the amazing things he will learn, or the crazy things he will be asked to do. And that's just in London! Just when Andrew begins to feel somewhat comfortable at Durham House, Sir Walter is ready to leave for America. What Andrew finds during the journey and in America will change everything for him, forever.
This book is fantastic on so many levels. It's adventurous and exciting. It's well written. The characters are interesting and believable. It's historically accurate whenever possible. Whether you are a reluctant reader, you have a thirst for adventure, you enjoy the stories in history, or you just want to read a good book, this book can deliver. Simply put, this one is definitely worth the time!
On a personal note, I wish history was taught more like this. Or that someone had gotten me into historical fiction when I was much younger. I knew the name of Sir Walter Raleigh, and I had a general idea of his time period in history, but after reading RALEIGH'S PAGE I will never forget the story.
As the youngest son, Andrew Saintleger is destined for whatever life his father decides he should have. When his father chooses, just before Andrew's twelfth birthday, to take him to London and arrange for him to train and work under Sir Walter Raleigh, Andrew knows he is the luckiest boy around.
Rumor has it that Sir Walter has turned his sights on America. Andrew knows all about America. His teacher, Master Tremayne, is nearly obsessed with the New World and has been drilling all of the students on it all year. So much so that half of the students have become enthralled with it. And now, Andrew may actually get to go!
Adventures on the road to London are nothing compared to the life that Andrew is about to jump in to. Nothing can prepare him for the strange life that Sir Walter leads, and the amazing things he will learn, or the crazy things he will be asked to do. And that's just in London! Just when Andrew begins to feel somewhat comfortable at Durham House, Sir Walter is ready to leave for America. What Andrew finds during the journey and in America will change everything for him, forever.
This book is fantastic on so many levels. It's adventurous and exciting. It's well written. The characters are interesting and believable. It's historically accurate whenever possible. Whether you are a reluctant reader, you have a thirst for adventure, you enjoy the stories in history, or you just want to read a good book, this book can deliver. Simply put, this one is definitely worth the time!
On a personal note, I wish history was taught more like this. Or that someone had gotten me into historical fiction when I was much younger. I knew the name of Sir Walter Raleigh, and I had a general idea of his time period in history, but after reading RALEIGH'S PAGE I will never forget the story.
August 19, 2009
Gr 4-7-In 1584 Plymouth, 11-year-old Andrew has heard his teacher tell tales of the riches and adventure to be found in the New World. When his father, a childhood friend of Walter Raleigh, calls in a favor, Raleigh agrees to take Andrew on as a page. Filled with excitement, the boy travels to London to reside at Durham House, where he will learn about court life. His training is not limited to the gentlemanly arts, however: as Raleigh grows to trust him more, he involves Andrew in various intrigues to obtain the most recent and thorough maps of the New World and to convince Queen Elizabeth I that England cannot afford to leave the territory to the Spanish. Almost a year later, Andrew is sailing toward America as secretary to Thomas Harriot, the mathematician and astronomer who manages Raleigh's accounts. The months that he spends in Virginia are full of adventure and discovery. Armstrong realistically portrays the bigotry of the times, not only in the way that many of the explorers demean the Native Americans, but also in the intolerance toward Catholicism in England and toward Protestantism in Spain. Armstrong's meticulous research, combined with Jessell's lively black-and-white illustrations, bring to life the people who shaped our nation's earliest history. Pair this with Elise Carbone's Blood on the River: James Town 1607 (Viking, 2006): both books will have adventure lovers on the edge of their seats, and they'll realize that America's history is anything but boring.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
November 13, 2015
I knew little to nothing about Sir Walter Raleigh except that John Lennon called him a "stupid get" in the Beatles song I'm So Tired (1968) for bringing back tobacco to England. I found this reading to be incredibly informative and fun at the same time.
I do love a good historical fiction book as history fascinates me. I am sure that a lot of the story is based upon actual occurrences, and adding in Andrew as a young page makes this bit of history fun for young readers, and adults, to read. Yes, the Englishmen did treat the Indians badly, and it made me angry even though I knew it was coming. I just hate how we treated them as a lower rung on the evolutionary ladder because they were so "primitive."
I loved the pacing and the character development in Raleigh's Page and found the book to be extremely well-written. Andrew is a fun character and loved his Indian friend Manteo. If you are looking for a historical book for your child to read, then they cannot go wrong by reading Raleigh's Page.
Overall, I found I had a hard time putting this book down and I know kids will feel the same. Fantastic!
I rated this book a 9 out of 10.
I do love a good historical fiction book as history fascinates me. I am sure that a lot of the story is based upon actual occurrences, and adding in Andrew as a young page makes this bit of history fun for young readers, and adults, to read. Yes, the Englishmen did treat the Indians badly, and it made me angry even though I knew it was coming. I just hate how we treated them as a lower rung on the evolutionary ladder because they were so "primitive."
I loved the pacing and the character development in Raleigh's Page and found the book to be extremely well-written. Andrew is a fun character and loved his Indian friend Manteo. If you are looking for a historical book for your child to read, then they cannot go wrong by reading Raleigh's Page.
Overall, I found I had a hard time putting this book down and I know kids will feel the same. Fantastic!
I rated this book a 9 out of 10.
November 1, 2013
I liked Raleigh's Page immensely. Alan Armstrong has a likably old fashioned storytelling style; Whittington was sort of a Charlotte's Web redesign; Raleigh's Page reminded me in a way of Little House on the Prairie (simple but still adventurous, episodic, the movement of time alternating between fast and slow).
May 19, 2008
Andrew leaves his home to become a page to Sir Walter Raleigh and is swept up in Raleigh's plan to explore and settle America for England. Andrew, his former teacher Tremayne, and his mentor Mr. Herriot accompany the first expedition to Roanoke Island. They are charged with recording the findings of the expedition, and Andrew's is rather disillusioned when he sees many of the men behave "like Spaniards," using threat and force to obtain food and hunt for gold.
The book is rich in historic detail and faithfully portrays the period, but most students will find it a slow read and overlong.
The book is rich in historic detail and faithfully portrays the period, but most students will find it a slow read and overlong.
January 16, 2010
Andrew finds himself becoming a page to Sir Walter Raleigh. Through the chapters, the reader will enjoy learning about everyday life in old England, the excitement over the discover of America and the beliefs of the possibilites that come with it. Young Andrew experiences battles, sailing, harsh weather, low food supplies, Indians, and the struggle to be the best page for Sir Walter Raleigh. I'd have to say the reader would have to be a fan of this time period to enjoy this book, but there is a lot to learn from reading it for anyone.
June 18, 2008
The hero is a bit of a Mary Sue in this YA historical novel, but there's plenty of action and obscure information about Raleigh, Elizabethan England, and New World adventuring. The Indians get a sympathetic but not hagiographic showing here, but mercifully the Elizabethan characters don't succumb to Disney-style hypocritical anti-colonialism.
November 16, 2011
This book has given me a new perspective on historical fiction. The story goes along with Sir Walter Raleigh, his relationship with the Queen, and the way his assistants. Raleigh's Page is a children's book, but my grandmother got so interested in reading it that she wanted to borrow it while it was still checked out to me at the public library.
September 11, 2016
This is a great adventure, filled with realistic details. Readers journey with 11-year-old Andres Saintleger, who leaves his home in Devon, England to become Sir Walter Raleigh’s page. In this position, his world expands as he learns about plants, taking responsibility, intrigue, international politics, Elizabethan England and eventually, the new world of Virginia.
December 4, 2014
This book is about the first Europeans at Roanoke Island. This adventure in history is seldom written about. To experience through young Andrews eyes the time before sailing, getting ready for Virginia, having to keep the adventure secret, was a great way to understand just how important every move was. This should have been a Newbery winner.
May 26, 2010
This is a historical fiction novel for children that gives a look at expeditions to America through the eyes of a young page of Sir Walter Raleigh. It was interesting but lacked real character development.
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May 7, 2012This book is about a boy that learn how to be a solider in England. He was name Andrew, he was a brave and intelligent boy. The main idea from this book was a boy make hard work to achieve his goal. He work very hard and done his work.
June 12, 2012
Historical fiction look at a 11 yr old boy who is given in service to Sir Walter Raleigh for training. Andrew ends up going to America on an expedition to help te Queen find gold and explore settlement opportunities. Very good
January 20, 2013
A good solid read with interesting characters and plenty of adventure to keep the kids interested but also pretty accurate history with lots of details about daily life in Elizabethan England and the New World.
March 20, 2015
"Raleigh's Page" - written by Alan Armstrong and published in 2007 by Random House Books for Young Readers. Very good historical fiction of a young boy's journey from England to America during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
February 14, 2008
I got some interesting insights into the politics of the settlement of America. Lots of good research here.
July 8, 2008
Well researched, easy to read, but was a little too long.
October 24, 2008
A good book for a book report.
May 14, 2009
a wonderful bit of historical fiction. great read!
November 16, 2009
I'm not a fan of historical fiction. Good story but it took far too long to read.
August 15, 2012
Good lighthearted read about a yourng boy who becomes part of the expedition to explore Roanoke, Virginia.
April 5, 2016
Got is with Whittington, by same author. This is about the page for Sir Walter Raleigh and his trip to Roanoke VA. It was ok, but very slow and I kept thinking he was going to disappear! He didn't!
February 1, 2009
Good little book full of information on Elizabethan England.
December 30, 2015
Interesting point of view for this story! Not written as well as I was hoping, but a good story.
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June 9, 2017750L
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews