Books with author Dr David Starkey

An abused child, yet confident of her destiny to reign, a woman in a man's world, passionately sexual - though, as she maintained, a virgin - Elizabeth I was to be famed as England's most successful ruler. This new biography, by concentrating on the formative early years - from her birth in 1533 to her accession in 1558 - shows how her experiences of danger and adventure formed her remarkable character and shaped her opinions and beliefs. A tale of one young woman's turbulent, courageous and seemingly impossible journey towards the throne, it is the story of the making of a queen.David Starkey re-creates a host of extravagant characters, madcap schemes and tragic plots, while using original documents to point up the importance of the rituals of power and life at court. Elizabeth, whose own Protestant faith was personal and sophisticated, was extremely judicious in her handling of Reform, as in her choice of advisors and councilors. Here, too, is a fresh view of the famous rivalry between the daughters of Henry VIII: the pious Catholic Mary and her clever sister. While Elizabeth remained utterly devoted to her father, she was also determined not to lose her opportunity for power - and not to make the same mistakes as Mary. The skill with which she achieved her goal proved to be a sign that England had reached a watershed moment in its history.

Fiction. Young Adult. This gripping novel for young readers begins in 1805, when fifteen–year–old Duncan Scott and his sister Libby lose their parents in a Glasgow cotton mill fire. Their tragedy is compounded when, through one reckless act of grief, the Scott children become fugitives as well as orphans, and must flee Scotland. Across the border in England, Duncan and Libby are betrayed by their traveling companion. In a desperate attempt to save Duncan from the gallows, Libby sacrifices her freedom for her brother's — a selfless act of courage on the Liverpool docks that sends her to prison and propels Duncan over the storm–swept waters of the Atlantic to Canada. After a year in Montreal, Duncan is enlisted to travel by canoe across the continent to New Caledonia, carrying secret orders for the trader, Simon Fraser. Before he can go home and find Libby, Duncan must join Fraser on a dangerous voyage of discovery to the Pacific Ocean, a journey down what Fraser assumes is the Columbia River but which turns out to be what later will be called the Fraser. Along the way, Duncan faces death, danger and treason, and must somehow find the courage to save his companions, the expedition, and himself.

A junior high soccer team in Vancouver, with mostly refugee and immigrant teen players, is sponsored to play in a big tournament in Toronto. Abbas Wassef, a recent arrival from Syria and a striker on the team, is looking forward to playing the top team in Ontario where he will reconnect with a buddy from Syria.Abbas has a big problem. He has witnessed a bad traffic accident that has given him flashbacks to the strife in Syria, and triggered a fear of airplanes and flying. But Abbas finds a way to conquer his fear and anxiety in time for the tournament. Along the way, he also helps his whole team deal with the pressures of being the only team at the tournament from outside of the GTA, being younger than most of the other players, and meeting the expectations of their sponsors back home.Characters introduced in three other soccer-based novels, Golden Goal, Team Fugee and Tournament Fugee, appear in this book. The quartet of hi-lo novels offer young readers insight into the experiences of young refugees — and offer refugee students validation for their experiences in dealing with a new culture and a new home.

Thirteen-year-old Dylan's whole life changes when his father dies. Not only do he and his mom have to move to a poor part of Vancouver, where he misses their nice home and his old school. But then he's also forced to join his new school's soccer team — a group of immigrant and refugee students who play on a rough, gravel field.Angry and lonely, Dylan gets into a fight at school. As a punishment, he has to join the soccer team — the last thing he wants to do, because it reminds him of his old soccer teammates and everything else he has lost. But when he's mocked by his old team, the players he thought were his friends, Dylan becomes determined to show them he is still a winner by bringing his new team to the championship finals. Getting to know his new refugee teammates provides Dylan with a lesson on teamwork, opens his eyes about hardship, makes him rethink the idea of "loser" and shows him the true value of a goal that wins in sudden-death play — a golden goal.This book is the first of a new set of novels about soccer teams of young refugees who have escaped war-torn areas of the world and moved to Canada.

Abbas is a Syrian refugee and a striker on a junior high soccer team of refugee and immigrant players. He is excited when his team is sponsored to play a big tournament, where he can reconnect with a friend from Syria. But a traffic accident triggers Abbas to experience anxiety and flashbacks to the violence in Syria. He finds ways to conquer his flashbacks and anxiety before the big tournament and also helps his whole team deal with the pressure of the competition. Golden Game is one of four books that offer readers insight into the experiences of refugee youth as they adjust to life in North America.

Fourteen-year-old Madeline Snow is the star goalie and captain of her girls rep hockey team. When her father moves the family to a small town, she feels like she's losing a lot. Maddie is unhappier than ever. Soon she discovers she's made the town's only Bantam team, but since they have a skilled goalie in Connor Spencer, Maddie wonders if she will get to play. When Connor dies in a car accident, Maddie is overwhelmed with sadness and guilt. But Maddie has become part of the community, and her friends help her to find the focus she needs to fill the empty net.

When Dylan doesn't get off to a good start at his new school and gets in trouble for fighting, he has to join the soccer team with a group of immigrant and refugee students who play on a rough, gravel field. Mocked by his old team, Dylan becomes determined to bring his new team to the championship finals. Getting to know his teammates opens Dylan's eyes about hardship, and shows him the value of a goal that wins in sudden-death play―a golden goal. Golden Goal is one of four new books that offer readers insight into the experiences of refugee youth as they adjust to life in North America.

Fourteen-year-old Madeline Snow is the star goalie and captain of her girls rep hockey team. When her father moves the family to a small town, she feels like she's losing a lot. Maddie is unhappier than ever. Soon she discovers she's made the town's only Bantam team, but since they have a skilled goalie in Connor Spencer, Maddie wonders if she will get to play. When Connor dies in a car accident, Maddie is overwhelmed with sadness and guilt. But Maddie has become part of the community, and her friends help her to find the focus she needs to fill the empty net.