The Medici Seal
by Theresa Breslin
Interest age: 12+
Reading age: 9+
Published by Random House, 2007
About this book
An absorbing historical novel which results from Breslin's fascination with Leonardo da Vinci, and benefits from her painstaking research into his life and career in Renaissance Italy.
Matteo the gypsy boy is rescued by Leonardo from drowning and becomes his apprentice both in the studio and in his scientific investigations. His is a journey to assuage a terrible guilt for past events, to gain self-knowledge and find the truth about his family.
In the course of this book, readers encounter the violence and corruption of the Borgias and the Medicis, and learn much about the development of medical expertise. Definitely not The Da Vinci Code for children, but a carefully reasoned and historically informed novel about growing up and making choices.
About the author
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Best books for teens (teen)
Read our list of outstanding teenage books that either won or were shortlisted for the BookTrust Teenage Prize during its running from 2003-10. With fantasy, crime, horror and coming-of-age there is definitely something here for a book loving teen.