I just finished a lovely little book called The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. It really is a tiny book (120 pages), which makes for a quick and satisfying read. It seems the Queen's dogs are barking at a bookmobile on the palace grounds one day, so she pops her head inside to say sorry and then decides she should check out a book since she's there. She also meets Norman, a boy who works in the palace kitchens and is an avid reader. The two of them share the books they are reading, building a friendship which enriches them both. As the Queen gets lost in the joys of reading, it turns out those around her don't appreciate a queen with her nose in a book. When she is on walkabouts she starts asking her subjects what they are reading, and they are taken aback, feeling foolish if they aren't reading anything. She stashes a book behind the cushion in her carriage and security absconds with it - thinking it might be a bomb. Who knew a queen reading could raise such a ruckus! Check out this sweet little book for yourself.
