Marie Antonette: 'Madame Deficit'    by Liz Hockinson & Peter Malone Order:  USA  Can Goosebottom Books, 2011 (2011) Hardcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Lyn Seippel Marie Antoinette, the fifteenth of sixteen children, led a pampered childhood. Her parents, Francis Stephen I and Maria Theresa, were emperor and empress of the Holy Roman Empire. This was one of the most important royal families of Europe during the eighteenth century. At fourteen she was sent to France to marry the fifteen-year-old Dauphin, Louis Auguste. Although Marie was not political, her mother wanted the marriage to create an alliance with France. After her marriage, everything Marie did became subject to public scrutiny. Doctors checked the royal couple often. Marie's duty was to produce a son to secure the royal line, but Louis Auguste wasn't interested in her. When King Louis XV died of smallpox, the young couple was thrust into the roles of king and queen long before they were ready. Marie Antoinette's life was full of grandeur and later tragedy. Sidebars show how the queen and king lived while their people were dying of starvation. Illustrations by Peter Malone express the context in which they lived and add drama to later happenings. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews