Sources I compared

The historical fiction book that I chose to compare was Kristina: The Girl

King from The Royal Dairies Series. This book by Carolyn Meyers tells

about the childhood of Kristina Wasa: Ruler of Sweden in diary form

The non-fiction source that I compared my historical fiction book to was an article from Oregon State entitled Kristina Wasa, Queen of Sweden

(1626-1689). The Article gives factual information about the life and rule of

Queen Kristina

Timeline

December 8th, 1626 Kristina Wasa is born

1632-Kristina’s

Father King Gustav is killed and Kristina is

crowed Queen

1650- Kristina begins communications with Descartes which will heavily influence her

rule

1654- Kristina abdicates the

Throne

April 19, 1689 Kristina dies in

Rome

Non-Fiction Summery

Kristina Wasa, Queen of Sweden

(1626-1689)http://oregonstate.edu

This non-fiction article gives factual information about Kristina Wasa, Queen of Sweden. The article gives factual information about significant events in Kristina’s life. It also talks about Kristina’s personality and about some of the traits that shaped her as a ruler and also discussed some of the reasons for her abdication.

Historical Fiction Summery

The Royal Diaries: Kristina: The Girl King

By: Carolyn Myers

The Royal Diaries: Kristina: The Girl King tells the story of Kristina’s childhood in diary form. The books begins with Kristina as a young child when her father is killed and tells of the trials and tribulations of a young female ruler at the onset of the Northern European Renaissance.

Similarities between my Sources

• Both sources discuss how intelligent Kristina was even as a child and the she spent many hours everyday in study

• Both sources talk about how Kristina was educated as a boy, with lessons in horsemanship and battle tactics

• Both sources discuss how she had a keen interest in Catholicism at an early age

• Both sources talk about how she struggles to assert her authority as a young female ruler

Differences between my sources

• My historical fiction novel discussed the turbulent relationship between Kristina and her mother Maria Elenora of Brandenburg while the non-fiction article does not discuss that strained relationship

• My historical fiction novel mentions Kristina's aunt (her father’s sister) and how she was a great mentor to the young ruler.

• My historical fiction only makes references to Kristina’s young adulthood while my non-fiction article tells about her whole life

Significance

Kristina’s life is significant because she was a female ruler in a world that was dominated by males. She accomplished many things in her time as Queen of Sweden and helped Northern Europe embrace some of the changes of the Renaissance.

Citations

Meyer, Carolyn. Kristina: the Girl King. New York: Scolastic, 2003. Print.

"Kristina Wasa, Queen of Sweden(1626-1689)." Oregon State University. Web. 16 May 2011. <http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/wasa.html>.