About the Book

Title: Kate Middleton, Queen in Waiting

(Updated version of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, published in 2013)

Author: Susan Barnett Braun

Released: 2023

Catherine, Princess of Wales, is known to most of the world as Kate Middleton. Bullied in elementary school, she was an ordinary girl on her way to an ordinary life — until she met her Prince Charming. After almost a decade of waiting, she and her prince wed in a ceremony viewed by millions worldwide. Now she travels the world, meeting with leaders, working with charities, and setting fashion standards along the way.

Written for a grade 1-8 audience, Kate Middleton, Queen in Waiting takes readers behind the scenes for a look at the events that transformed Kate into the dignified royal family member she is today.

About the Author

Susan Barnett Braun grew up in the small town of Seymour, Indiana. She earned a BS in retail management from Indiana University and an MA in elementary Education from the University of Alabama. She taught elementary school for eight years in northwest Indiana. During that time, she wrote grant proposals which won a Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship and a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Study Scholarship, both on topics relating to European royalty.

Susan’s writing has appeared in many online and print publications, including Parents, Children’s Ministry, Mommy Tracked, Family Christian Blog, Visit Fort Wayne Blog, and The Teacher’s Mailbox. She blogs at Girls in White Dresses.

Susan is married with three wonderful young adult daughters. She enjoys reading, playing piano and organ, and spending her time with her family and pets (currently three rabbits and a chinchilla).

Keep up with Susan’s writings at her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/susanbarnettbraun

My Impressions

I rarely read nonfiction books, even the ones I wish I would. But when Susan Barnett Braun published her children’s informational book about Kate Middleton a few years back, I jumped at the opportunity. Now, Katherine has the title of Princess and her husband, William, is next in line for the throne. Also, the couple have three adorable children. Braun has updated her book to reflect these changes.

I would recommend this book for a 3rd- 6th grader who likes princesses or famous women in the world. I loved the pictures that set the focus for each evenly-balanced, well-organized chapter.

Braun explains some British customs that the average American elementary student wouldn’t know. Braun also does a masterful job of relaying some of the painful truth of the royal family’s past without being sensational. Bravo!

Also, the author includes a timeline of Kate’s life at the end, plus a very select timeline of world events that took place during this time. Very helpful for a child to recall and assimilate the information.

I received a copy of the book from the author. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, pub. 2013

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent!

Kate-Middleton-Biography-Cover-188x300

About the Book

Title: Katie Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge

Author: Susan Barnett Braun

Genre: Children’s Non-Fiction

Release date: July 25, 2013, and updated with chapters on each of William and Kate’s children

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is known to most of the world as Kate Middleton. She was an ordinary girl on her way to an ordinary life until she met her Prince Charming. Now, she appears on television and in magazines. She wears beautiful, expensive clothing and travels all over the world. One day, she will be Queen of England. But along the way, she was bullied as a schoolgirl and she waited nearly ten years before marrying Prince William. Learn more about Kate’s road to royalty in this book! Written at Lexile level 930 (same as the Little House on the Prairie books), this book will appeal to girls eager to learn more about the most popular royal since Princess Diana. Full-color photos; timeline that places Kate’s life events into context next to world historical events

Click here to purchase your copy.

MY REVIEW:

Interesting and informative, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge: A Biography for Children first catches the reader’s attention with the beautiful cover. Being intrigued with all things royal since the days of Diana’s wedding to Charles, this book by Susan Barnett Braun portrays a happier couple than William’s parents, though Kate had to wait many years for her prince to make up his mind. This read is about more than the royal couple though, as we are treated to Kate’s early life with her family and at different schools.
What every royal watcher wants, a picture is included with every chapter. Welcome addendums to the book are chapters on each of Kate and William’s three children. I would happily recommend this book to upper elementary students and even adults who want a quick look into Kate’s life and history. I know I was pleased to learn a few things about this royal.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own and no positive review was required.

About the Author

Susan Barnett Braun earned a BS in retail management from Indiana University and an MA in education from the University of Alabama. She taught for eight years in northeast Indiana, earning a Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship and a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Study Scholarship. Susan has had work published in Parents, Children’s Ministry, and The Secret Place. She also writes online for Fort Wayne Visitor’s Bureau and blogs at Girls in White Dresses. She is married with three wonderful young adult daughters. Susan enjoys reading, playing piano and organ, and spending her time with her family and pets (currently three rabbits and a chinchilla). She has loved the British Royal Family since Diana came onto the scene back in the 1980s.

Guest Post from Susan

Back in 1981, as a teenager, I woke early to watch Prince Charles marry Lady Diana Spencer. My fascination with the British royal family began with Diana. As a high school senior, I submitted my senior paper topic: Charles and Diana and the royal romance. My teacher was not amused — but once he read the paper, he did enjoy it and asked to keep a copy.

Over the years, I’ve continued following and enjoying the British royals. When I worked as an elementary teacher, and the next generation of royals came along, I felt that there should be books about Prince William’s wife, Kate. I fondly remembered reading books about Diana when I was younger and felt that today’s girls might be fascinated by Kate in a similar way. I didn’t find many books about Kate, so I decided to write one myself. I learned much while researching Kate (or Catherine, as she prefers to be called). She’s a wonderful role model for girls today in many ways. To name just a few examples: she overcame being bullied by other girls at one of the schools she attended. And, she developed lots of patience during her nine-year courtship with Prince William.

I hope you and the young people in your life will enjoy this biography of the Duchess.