The Royal Diaries

by Kathryn Lasky

Book Overview

Intrigue and danger increase as Princess Kazunomiya's once-sheltered life in nineteenth-century Japan changes, in Newbery Honor author Kathryn Lasky's latest addition to THE ROYAL DIARIES series.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439164850
• ISBN13: 9780439164856
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 10 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 8

Customer Reviews

Kazunomiya

Hello there.I absoloutly loved this book. I think it should be a movie it was that good. Learing about Kazunomya was great. I love the way Katheryn Lasky included so much! This is her best book I've read. This book is about a young girl who goes through many obstacles. She is engaged to Arisugawa and falls in love with him. Then later has to marry another person! This is a grat book for anyone to read.

One of the greatest eras of change!!

12 year old, Kazunomiya is a virtual prisoner living in luxury behind the vast walls of the Japanese Palace.She is born in the year of the fire horse, which is a bad omen, especially when her father died after her birth, so they made her elder her age by one year.Kazunomiya, who lives her methodical life behind the palace walls, is going to find a new change in her life. Paled skin people called, Americans are appearing at the Japanese boundaries and accepting trading rights from the Japanese.It is at this time too that Kazunomiya learns that her prince, she had known all her life was not going to marry her.Her half-brother the Emperor, wants her to marry the young Shogun of Japan, who is pathetic and stupid.Kathryn Lasky has created a beautiful character within the pages of this book, I sincerely congratulate her!

Kazunomiya- Prisoner of heaven.Japan,1858

Kazunomiya lead an interesting life. Being born in the year of the fire horse and shortly after her dear fathers death made Princess Kazunomiya unlucky for it is a bad omen to be born in the year of the fire horse.Kazunomiya lived in hardship as the Japanese royal kept on changing her birthday and moving her away from her husband to be.When they move Kazunomiya away from her handsome husband to be and force her to marry the ugly shogun of Japan,Kazunomiya sees red.This is one of the best books in the Royal Diaries series,written by the best,interesting and most accurate Royal Diary author,Kathryn Lasky.

A nice story about an era of change

12-year-old Princess Kazunomiya, the half-sister of the current emperor of Japan, lives a very common life of a person of royal lineage. She has luxery and respect, but shes not much more than a prisoner behind the palace walls. She is never allowed to leave, unless for official state events or to pray in the temple. Her life is generally very monotonous and everyday is similar to the next. However Kazunomiya is living in a time of great change for her country of Japan, a time in which her own life will also be affected by the changes of the political landscape. Japan is becoming more open to foreigners and many are flocking in eager to trade and make money. Different alliances are being made and soon Kazunomiya finds her future in question because of political calculations. Kazunomiya comes off as a likeable character. Her confusion over the circumstances of her country are understandable. I'm Asian American so I was really looking forward to reading morea about the Japanese culture. I recommend this book to all fans of the series.

Good new book from the Royal Diaries series.

As a princess of Japan in the year 1858, twelve-year-old Kazunomiya lives a life of privilege and luxury. But it is one in which she is a virtual prisoner, kept sheltered behind palace walls, only able to leave for the occasional visit to a temple or shrine. But her predictable life is changing. Japan has kept itself isolated for generations, but now foreigners are clamoring to be allowed in, and given trading rights. And Kazunomiya finds her own future in question, when she learns that her betrothal to a prince she has known since childhood may be broken so that her half-brother, the Emperor, can make an alliance by marrying her off to the young man that will be the next shogun of Japan. I recommend this new addition to the Royal Diaries to all fans of the series. I enjoyed learning about what life was like for a princess of Japan during an era of great change. I had never heard of Kazunomiya before I learned of this book, but I found her life fascinating.