Content levels
Trigger warnings
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
Only in the world of the theater can Nat Field find an escape from the tragedies that have shadowed his young life. So he is thrilled when he is chosen to join an American drama troupe traveling to London to perform A Midsummer Night's Dream in a new replica of the famous Globe theater. Shortly after arriving in England, Nat goes to bed ill and awakens transported back in time four hundred years -- to another London, and another production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Amid the bustle and excitement of an Elizabethan theatrical production, Nat finds the warm, nurturing father figure missing from his life -- in none other than William Shakespeare himself. Does Nat have to remain trapped in the past forever, or give up the friendship he's so longed for in his own time?
Is King of Shadows appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 10 and up.
A gentle time-travel fantasy about a grieving boy who finds healing and a father figure in William Shakespeare. Themes of loss and emotional healing are handled sensitively for middle grade readers.
What to know going in
This book has no graphic violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include death of parent and grief.
Who'll love this
Readers who love theater, Shakespeare, or time-travel adventures will enjoy this story about a boy who gets to perform with the real Globe Theater in Elizabethan England.