The Second Mrs Gioconda

Why did Leonardo da Vinci lavish three years on painting the second wife of an unimportant merchant when all the nobles of Europe were begging for a portrait by his hand? In E. L. Konigsburg's intriguing novel, the answer lies with the complex relationship between the genius, his morally questionable young apprentice, and a young duchess whose plain features belie the sensitivity of her soul.

"The riddle of the "Mona Lisa" is solved in a most ingenious reconstruction of the middle years of Leonardo Da Vinci's life. . . . Thoroughly entertaining and believable".--"School Library Journal".

Connor is sure his best friend, Branwell, couldn't have hurt Branwell's baby half sister, Nikki. But Nikki lies in a coma, and Branwell is in a juvenile behavioral center, suspected of a horrible crime and unable to utter the words to tell what really happened. Connor is the only one who might be able to break through Branwell's wall of silence. But how can he prove Branwell didn't commit the unspeakable act of which he's accused — when Branwell can't speak for himself?

The portrait of the Mona Lisa is probably the most famous painting in the world. Why did Leonardo da Vinci choose to paint the second wife of an unimportant Florentine merchant?.

A delightful adveture full of humor and heart set in Elizabethan England! Widge is an orphan with a rare talent for shorthand. His fearsome master has just one demand: steal Shakespeare's play "Hamlet"--or else. Widge has no choice but to follow orders, so he works his way into the heart of the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare's players perform. As full of twists and turns as a London alleyway, this entertaining novel is rich in period details, colorful characters, villainy, and drama. * "A fast-moving historical novel that introduces an important era with casual familiarity." --School Library Journal, starred review "Readers will find much to like in Widge, and plenty to enjoy in this gleeful romp through olde England" --Kirkus Reviews "Excels in the lively depictions of Elizabethan stagecraft and street life." --Publishers Weekly An ALA Notable Book

Why did Leonardo da Vinci devote three years to a painting of the second wife of an unimportant merchant when all the nobles of Europe were beggin for a portrait by his hand?. A slice of Renaissance life delves into the intriguing answer to the puzzle behind the most famous painting of all time ... the Mona Lisa.

Two fifth-grade girls, one of whom is the first black child in a middle-income suburb, play at being apprentice witches.

This accessible biography introduces readers to Da Vinci, one of the greatest figures of the Italian Renaissance, and is perhaps best known today for his painting of the "Mona Lisa" and for his fresco of "The Last Supper."