Isabella of Castile (The Thinking Girl's Treasury of Real Princesses) Hardcover – Picture Book, October 2, 2010

I purchased this book for my granddaughter who was named Isabel after Isabel de Castilla. It is written at a junior high or high school level which is perfect and it is historically quite accurate. Isabel was not your typical fairy tale princess, she was a strong, intelligent woman and is an excellent role model for today's girls.

wanted this for a child's school report, kindle version is too hard to read. I had to return it. Text is very small and no way to enlarge. I was very disappointed because I cant find this anywhere else as a hard copy. It looks like a good book if I could read it.

So disappointed on the kindle version of this book. I was not able to read it. The print is to small. Re-ordered the book on prime.

My granddaughter loved it!

This is a combined review with Sorghaghtani of Mongolia, as I read both together in the same day.These are wonderful middle-readers (ages 9-13) for the real princesses in your life. Wonderfully illustrated, including photos of related items as well as real portraits of each princess and her prince. There are special pages that illustrate even more interesting facts - "What She Ate", "What She Wore", "Where She Lived" - these add so much because they put the period of each princess' life into more context.The front of each book is a sort of glossary, explaining some of the unfamiliar words and how to pronounce them.As I read about Isabella, I wondered if her part in the Spanish Inquisition would be glossed over (it wasn't; the last page of the book tells of her role in that horrible period and lets you know that not all princesses are all good all of the time).I'd never heard of Sorghaghtani, who at age 11 married Genghis Khan's son Tolui (who was 10 at the time), so you don't have to be a youngster to learn something.Although the books don't have a lot of pages (one has 24), there is so much of interest bundled into each page that they are well worth having.These are part of a series of books titled "The Thinking Girl's Treasury of Real Princesses", which also includes: Hatshepsut of Egypt, Artemisia of Caria, Qutlugh Terkan Khatun of Kirman, and Nur Jahan of India.All of these books introduce princesses who were able to wield considerable influence, even when women weren't "supposed" to have any power or authority.If you have a middle-reader, these are definitely books to have on hand. I really really recommend them.QUOTES:If it weren't for Isabella, Spain would not be the country it is today, and America would not exist as we know it!Just like any nomadic group, when it came time to find better pasture for their animals, the whole court packed up and moved. Sorghaghtani's household alone needed more than 100 carts to move all their gers and possessions - the gers perched fully assembled on top of the carts, the Mongolian version of mobile homes.

As a travel writer of travel guides for kids, I'm always looking for books that help bring history and culture to life for children.This book is marvelous. It explains how Isabella was really ahead of her time. At that point, her husband would have taken over the country simply because he was a man. Not for Isabella though, she had a prenup!For a trip to Spain, understanding of Isabella of Castille, is critical and this book is wonderful. I used it with my own children (who were 7 and 9 at the time) before our trip to Spain and I recommend it as a must read to the families who plan trips there as well.A great book for parents and teachers alike!

This book is terrific! My 8 year old daughter really enjoyed is. It is rare to find children's books with powerful Princesses and the author offers a whole collection of strong, powerful and smart woman in history. The book is full of facts and all written in an interesting way that appeals to kids... not just a history book. Definitely recommended.