Gardner, Sally. 2007. The red necklace. New York: The Penguin Group. Photo Source: Barnes and Noble. 2007. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ (accessed March 18, 2009).
This award winning novel is set in Paris at the beginning of the French Revolution. A time when the aristocracy was about to be under attack by the common man. The main characters in this novel are Yann Margoza, a young gypsy boy; Tetu, the dwarf who raised him after his mother's death; the Marquis de Villeduval, the over the top aristocrat; Count Kalliovski, the villian of the story; and Sido, the young girl who Yann helps save from the guillotin.
Throughout the story, the reader discovers how these characters are connected with each other. The back story of how the aristocracy lived in comparison to the common man at the time of the French Revolution is interesting, although one wonders how much of an exaggeration some of it is. For example, did the aristocracy really build tunnels underneath gardens so that that gardeners could change out plants from below ground daily to match the buckles of the aristocrats shoes? I don't know how much is true and how much is exaggerated but the novel gives a clear understanding that the reason behind the French Revolution was the discrepancy of living standards between the rich and the poor.
I think 7th and 8th grade students will enjoy this book. Boys might also enjoy this book because it is written from the male perspective, although a young girl appears on the cover. While a modern day teenager cannot relate to the events of a gypsy boy at the time of the French Revolution, the general topics of family ties, friendships, and the need to feel safe and secure will resonate with young readers. I do wonder if a sequel to this novel will be written. The ending of the books leaves the story wide open for a sequel.
