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{"id":6813804953659,"title":"I Was Cleopatra","handle":"i-was-cleopatra","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe provocative fictional memoir of a boy actor in Shakespearian London.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Shakespeare’s time, women were not allowed to appear on stage, and so female parts were played by boy actors. In \u003ci\u003eI Was Cleopatra\u003c\/i\u003e, readers meet John Rice — perhaps the most beautiful and acclaimed boy actor of them all. It is believed by many that John Rice originated the roles of Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra and Cordelia, and this fictional memoir explores his life both on and off the stage. With graceful prose and an encyclopedic knowledge of the period, Dennis Abrams invites readers to experience gender fluidity and sexuality through the fictional recollections of a fascinating historical figure as he reflects on his life in this “farewell” to his theatrical past.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story follows John from the age of thirteen, when he leaves his family in Reading to join the King’s Men theater troupe in London as an apprentice boy actor. Over the course of the next few years, John eagerly hones the acting skills necessary to portray female roles. He memorizes lines, reads all the plays he can get his hands on, and works on imitating female gestures and mannerisms. He becomes a friend, and eventually a lover, of Alexander, a boy actor who is getting too old to play female roles. And he works closely with Shakespeare himself, who coaches him through the roles of Lady Macbeth and Cleopatra, among others.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut around the time he turns sixteen, John starts to worry about inevitably becoming too old to convincingly portray women onstage, which leads to some unsettling choices.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Text Features\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eliterary references\u003cbr\u003eauthor’s note\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCorrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3\u003cbr\u003eDescribe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6\u003cbr\u003eExplain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2022-03-23T13:11:02-04:00","created_at":"2022-03-23T09:24:54-04:00","vendor":"Groundwood Books Ltd","type":"","tags":["age range 12 - 0","By (author) Abrams Dennis","CC Literature - Grade 6","CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3","CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6","Childrens Accessible ebooks","Groundwood Books","Lexile measure 1370L","LGBTQ+","pub date: 2018-04-01","Young Adult"],"price":1695,"price_min":1695,"price_max":1895,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":40205724254267,"title":"hardcover jacket","option1":"hardcover jacket","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781773060224","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"I Was Cleopatra - hardcover jacket","public_title":"hardcover jacket","options":["hardcover jacket"],"price":1895,"weight":280,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781773060224","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[],"quantity_rule":{"min":1,"max":null,"increment":1}},{"id":40205949337659,"title":"epub","option1":"epub","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781773060231","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"I Was Cleopatra - epub","public_title":"epub","options":["epub"],"price":1695,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":null,"barcode":"9781773060231","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[],"quantity_rule":{"min":1,"max":null,"increment":1}},{"id":40205950025787,"title":"mobi","option1":"mobi","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781773060248","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"I Was Cleopatra - mobi","public_title":"mobi","options":["mobi"],"price":1695,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":null,"barcode":"9781773060248","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[],"quantity_rule":{"min":1,"max":null,"increment":1}}],"images":["\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_833cf0aa-2013-4719-9094-5818606d1986.jpg?v=1731043385"],"featured_image":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_833cf0aa-2013-4719-9094-5818606d1986.jpg?v=1731043385","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":24903057178683,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.677,"height":2325,"width":1575,"src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_833cf0aa-2013-4719-9094-5818606d1986.jpg?v=1731043385"},"aspect_ratio":0.677,"height":2325,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_833cf0aa-2013-4719-9094-5818606d1986.jpg?v=1731043385","width":1575}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe provocative fictional memoir of a boy actor in Shakespearian London.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Shakespeare’s time, women were not allowed to appear on stage, and so female parts were played by boy actors. In \u003ci\u003eI Was Cleopatra\u003c\/i\u003e, readers meet John Rice — perhaps the most beautiful and acclaimed boy actor of them all. It is believed by many that John Rice originated the roles of Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra and Cordelia, and this fictional memoir explores his life both on and off the stage. With graceful prose and an encyclopedic knowledge of the period, Dennis Abrams invites readers to experience gender fluidity and sexuality through the fictional recollections of a fascinating historical figure as he reflects on his life in this “farewell” to his theatrical past.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story follows John from the age of thirteen, when he leaves his family in Reading to join the King’s Men theater troupe in London as an apprentice boy actor. Over the course of the next few years, John eagerly hones the acting skills necessary to portray female roles. He memorizes lines, reads all the plays he can get his hands on, and works on imitating female gestures and mannerisms. He becomes a friend, and eventually a lover, of Alexander, a boy actor who is getting too old to play female roles. And he works closely with Shakespeare himself, who coaches him through the roles of Lady Macbeth and Cleopatra, among others.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut around the time he turns sixteen, John starts to worry about inevitably becoming too old to convincingly portray women onstage, which leads to some unsettling choices.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Text Features\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eliterary references\u003cbr\u003eauthor’s note\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCorrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3\u003cbr\u003eDescribe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6\u003cbr\u003eExplain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.\u003c\/p\u003e"}
{"AlsoRecommendedISBN_0":"9781487004774","AlsoRecommendedISBN_1":"9781554983476","AlsoRecommendedISBN_2":"9781554989720","AudienceRangePrecision_1_0":"03","AudienceRangePrecision_1_1":"03","AudienceRangePrecision_1_2":"03","AudienceRangeQualifier_0":"11","AudienceRangeQualifier_1":"26","AudienceRangeQualifier_2":"17","AudienceRangeValue_1_0":"7","AudienceRangeValue_1_1":"7","AudienceRangeValue_1_2":"12","BASICMainSubject":"YAF024120","BASICMainSubjectLiteral":"YOUNG ADULT FICTION\/Historical\/Renaissance","BiographicalNote":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDENNIS ABRAMS\u003c\/strong\u003e is the southern correspondent for \u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e. He has written more than thirty young adult biographies and history books. He is also the author of \u003cem\u003eThe Play’s the Thing\u003c\/em\u003e, a complete young adult guide to the plays of William Shakespeare. \u003cem\u003eI Was Cleopatra\u003c\/em\u003e is his first novel. He lives in Houston.\u003c\/p\u003e","BISACSubjectLiteral_0":"YOUNG ADULT FICTION \/ Historical \/ Renaissance","BISACSubjectLiteral_1":"YOUNG ADULT FICTION \/ LGBT","BISACSubjectLiteral_2":"YOUNG ADULT FICTION \/ Performing Arts \/ Theater \u0026amp; Musicals","BISACSubjectLiteral_3":"YOUNG ADULT FICTION \/ Biographical","BISACSubject_0":"YAF024120","BISACSubject_1":"YAF031000","BISACSubject_2":"YAF047050","BISACSubject_3":"YAF005000","CommonCore":"CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6","CommonCore_1":"CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3","ComplexityCode_0":"1370L","ComplexitySchemeIdentifier_0":"06","ComplexitySchemeIdName_0":"Lexile measure","ContributorBio_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDENNIS ABRAMS\u003c\/strong\u003e is the southern correspondent for \u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e. He has written more than thirty young adult biographies and history books. He is also the author of \u003cem\u003eThe Play’s the Thing\u003c\/em\u003e, a complete young adult guide to the plays of William Shakespeare. \u003cem\u003eI Was Cleopatra\u003c\/em\u003e is his first novel. He lives in Houston.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","ContributorRole_0":"By (author)","Contributor_0":"Abrams, Dennis","Description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe provocative fictional memoir of a boy actor in Shakespearian London.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Shakespeare’s time, women were not allowed to appear on stage, and so female parts were played by boy actors. In \u003ci\u003eI Was Cleopatra\u003c\/i\u003e, readers meet John Rice — perhaps the most beautiful and acclaimed boy actor of them all. It is believed by many that John Rice originated the roles of Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra and Cordelia, and this fictional memoir explores his life both on and off the stage. With graceful prose and an encyclopedic knowledge of the period, Dennis Abrams invites readers to experience gender fluidity and sexuality through the fictional recollections of a fascinating historical figure as he reflects on his life in this “farewell” to his theatrical past.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story follows John from the age of thirteen, when he leaves his family in Reading to join the King’s Men theater troupe in London as an apprentice boy actor. Over the course of the next few years, John eagerly hones the acting skills necessary to portray female roles. He memorizes lines, reads all the plays he can get his hands on, and works on imitating female gestures and mannerisms. He becomes a friend, and eventually a lover, of Alexander, a boy actor who is getting too old to play female roles. And he works closely with Shakespeare himself, who coaches him through the roles of Lady Macbeth and Cleopatra, among others.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut around the time he turns sixteen, John starts to worry about inevitably becoming too old to convincingly portray women onstage, which leads to some unsettling choices.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Text Features\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr \/\u003eliterary references\u003cbr \/\u003eauthor’s note\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCorrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3\u003cbr \/\u003eDescribe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6\u003cbr \/\u003eExplain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.\u003c\/p\u003e","EAN":"9781773060248","excerpt_0":"https:\/\/biblioshare.org\/BNCservices\/BNCServices.asmx\/Samples?token=fcf85c1c1b298e99\u0026amp;ean=9781773060248\u0026amp;SAN=\u0026amp;Perspective=excerpt\u0026amp;FileNumber=0","Height":"7.5","HeightCode":"in","Imprint":"Groundwood Books","KeyTextFeatures":"literary references;author's note","MetaKeywords":"coming of age; growing up; Shakespeare; gender identity; sexuality; boy actor; LGBTQ romance; Elizabethan England; leaving home; loneliness; acceptance; adaptability; dedication; pride; respect for self; first person narration; figurative language; symbolism; metaphors; simile; imagery; questioning; Common Core aligned; CC Literature Key Ideas and Details; CC Literature Craft and Structure; grade 6; historical fiction; fictional memoir; literary references; author's note","NumberOfPages":"192","OtherText_Back_cover_copy_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHEMES OF GENDER FLUIDITY\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eThis book provides a fascinating portrait of a boy actor in Shakespeare’s time. Abrams’ depiction of John Rice is sympathetic and engaging, as John learns to play women’s roles on the stage, and also experiences a range of feelings about his own identity.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOR FANS OF SHAKESPEARE \/ ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eAbrams’ love of Shakespeare shines through in his descriptions of the plays and his inclusion of well-chosen excerpts. Lines from many of Shakespeare’s plays as well as songs and poems from other artists of the period are skilfully woven into the text, making the book a rich literary experience. It is also excellent historical fiction; Abrams delves into what they ate, how they dressed, etc. in Elizabethan England.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCURRICULUM CONNECTIONS\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eCurriculum connections include language arts (reading comprehension \/ literature studies), arts (drama \/ theater), and history (English Renaissance). Note: the novel includes a few graphic sexual descriptions.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","OtherText_Description_for_R_0":"\u003cp\u003eI was Cleopatra.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI was Lady Macbeth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI was Cordelia in Master Shakespeare’s \u003cem\u003eThe Tragedy of King Lear\u003c\/em\u003e. And I was the Fool in the same play.…\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eI was, for a time, an actor at the Globe Theatre in London where, before I entered my full adulthood and because of what some called my beauty — my physical qualities and appearance and demeanor — I was featured and praised for my performances in leading women’s roles, to both my shame and, I must confess, my pride.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI was loved by boys and girls and by men and women. And I loved them in return.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMy name is John Rice.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Long_description_1":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHEMES OF GENDER FLUIDITY\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eThis book provides a fascinating portrait of a boy actor in Shakespeare’s time. Abrams’ depiction of John Rice is sympathetic and engaging, as John learns to play women’s roles on the stage, and also experiences a range of feelings about his own identity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFOR FANS OF SHAKESPEARE \/ ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eAbrams’ love of Shakespeare shines through in his descriptions of the plays and his inclusion of well-chosen excerpts. Lines from many of Shakespeare’s plays as well as songs and poems from other artists of the period are skilfully woven into the text, making the book a rich literary experience. It is also excellent historical fiction; Abrams delves into what they ate, how they dressed, etc. in Elizabethan England.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCURRICULUM CONNECTIONS\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eCurriculum connections include language arts (reading comprehension \/ literature studies), arts (drama \/ theater), and history (English Renaissance). Note: the novel includes a few graphic sexual descriptions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","OtherText_Previous_review_q_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW COPIES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eBooklist\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eHorn Book\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","OtherText_Review_0":"\u003cp\u003e“. . . a poignant coming-of-age tale that explores the complexities of youth and gender performance. . . . A thought-provoking work that will encourage readers to learn more about the world of Elizabethan theater.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_0_Src":"Kirkus Reviews","OtherText_Review_1":"\u003cp\u003e“An impeccably researched and precisely told foray into the days of Shakespeare.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBooklist\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_1_Src":"Booklist","OtherText_Review_2":"\u003cp\u003e“Abrams’s discussion of gender fluidity and sexuality are among the novel’s most intriguing aspects.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ePublisher's Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_2_Src":"Publisher's Weekly","OtherText_Review_3":"\u003cp\u003e“In this fictional memoir of John Rice, an Elizabethan child actor, readers are given a glimpse into what life was like as he honed his stagecraft.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eLiteracy Daily\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_3_Src":"Literacy Daily","OtherText_ShortDescription_0":"The provocative fictional memoir of a boy actor in Shakespearian London.","ProductFormDescription":"mobi","PublicationDate":"2018-04-01","Publisher":"Groundwood Books Ltd","ShortDescription":"The provocative fictional memoir of a boy actor in Shakespearian London.","Width":"5","WidthCode":"in"}
ages 12
and up
/ grades 7
and up
