The Trumpeter of Krakow

The Trumpeter of Krakow that is now one of my favorites. It takes place in Renaissance Poland. The main character is a boy named Josef. In the possession of a family moving to Krakow is something called the Great Tarnov Crystal, a very valuable crystal. They are moving to Krakow to live with a brother because their farm was burned down by Tartars. The brother is dead, and they move in with an alchemist and his niece, Elzbieta. Josef and his get a job where they sound the trumpet every night, every hour from the Church of St. Mary's.

The Tartars attack Krakow, trying to get the great Tarnov Crystal. Josef plays his trumpet and warns everybody, and the day is saved. Josef then meets the King of Poland, and gives the King the Crystal.

I want to give this book 9.5 out of 10. The book was amazing. The characters are well-drawn, the plot is fact-paced. I also liked the setting in Krakow because some of my ancestors are from Poland. A tiny fault is, if you are a slow reader, you might not like the book as much.