WILLIAM’S MIDSUMMER DREAMS by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
When William and his younger siblings escaped from the home they shared with their abusive half-brothers, the Baggetts, he thought they had left their Baggett identities behind them. Adopting their aunt and new guardian’s last name of Hardison, they get a fresh start in a new town. Best of all, William may have a chance to pursue his dream of becoming a Shakespearean actor by auditioning for the role of Puck in a nearby professional production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. But although the acting portion of the summer goes just as he imagined it would, friendships and family relationships begin to make his summer more complicated. Most ominously, his understudy for the role of Puck seems willing to go to any length to get William out of the role.
Despite the fact that this book was about Shakespeare, it was not my favorite Zilpha Keatley Snyder book. The Egypt Game was significantly better. But if you like theatre and you like realistic fiction, this book may interest you. It is fairly slow-paced and focuses on William’s development as he learns more about himself, his hopes for the future, and his relationships with the characters around him.
Susan the Librarian 