Prisoners in the Palace

Description

SALES HANDLE: A real page turner, yet meticulously researched, this is the story of a heroine that will appeal to contemporary readers -- yet filled with lavish and interesting details of the time. And a great way to sneak in a little history info. KEY SELLING POINTS: HOW WILL THIS TITLE BE DISTINCTIVE: - With the exception of one entry in Scholastic's 'Royal Diaries' series, I have not yet found any juvenile novel with princess/queen Victoria as a central character. EXISTING TREND/DEFINE CONSUMER: - Strong subject appeal: interest in the 'royals' appears to be everlasting and to cross all age groups. (Witness the Phillipa Gregory series for adults; the Young Royals and Royal Diaries series for young readers; and even the Gemma Doyle trilogy and the 'Luxe' series for YA, which are not royals-focused, but are Victorian and convey a kind of lavishness.) - Novels in period settings are regularly among award winners. - We don't yet have any historical novels on our children's list. QUANTIFY VALUE: - Historical fiction resonates with schools and parents, yet the princess aspect will appeal to girls, so there is something for everyone. NOTABLE AUTHORS OR CONTRIBUTORS TO PROJECT: - Quality writing from a debut novelist RELEVANT SALES COMPARISONS OR SALES INFO: See above section on 'royals' trend.

NAME: Michaela MacColl LOCATION: Westport, CT TRAVEL AVAILABILITY/PROMOTABILITY: fairly available / very promotable.

"Liza's riches-to-rags-to-almost-riches story and her development into a young woman of high moral purpose, and Victoria's growth from a docile teen into a queen who would define an era, make this a great read."--School Library Journal, Starred Review "a whip-smart, spunky protagonist and a worthy heroine to root for. delightful"-Publishers Weekly