The thief who stole Shakespeare

Author: Blackwood
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: At fourteen, the boy Zai Zai has no parents and no real name, but he does have a remarkable skill in shorthand. In mid-16th century London, plays were usually only one copy, so they had to be locked away and guarded by. Zai Zai's master assigns him to go to the Globe Theatre in London to watch a play and orders him to steal Shakespeare's new play, Hamlet, in shorthand. Zai Zai's master is a cruel person, so he can't refuse the order at all. He has to sneak into the theatre and secretly take down the entire script. But unexpectedly, a fire breaks out in the theatre. Will Zai Zai still be able to complete the "task" assigned by his master? Will his life change because of this special experience? This book won the 1999 American Library Association Best Young Adult Book Award.