Fantasy & Contemporary Realistic Fiction - Review #3

DiCamillo, Kate. 2003. A Tale of Despereaux. Ill. by Timothy Basil Ering. Cambridge: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763617229. Also available on CD read by Graeme Malcolm. ISBN 9781400099139.

Plot Summary-

Dear, dear Reader, enter the tale of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who follows his heart and, in doing so, saves himself, the Princess Pea, servant-girl Miggery Sow, and the rat, Roscuro from the darkness of the dungeon and their own personal prisons.

Critical Analysis-

Characters-

This tale contrasts darkness and light. Despereaux Tilling, a mouse weak in body but strong in heart, has never acted like a mouse. In fact, Reader, his loves include stories and reading, music that sounds like honey, and the Princess Pea. He is the light. He is a brave knight and throughout his journey to the darkness of the dungeon, first unwillingly as a misunderstood victim and then second as a determined knight on a quest to save the princess, he will find his way to the happily-ever-after ending. The kind, forgiving, empathic Princess Pea is his inspiration.

Roscuro, dear Reader, is the darkness. When once he had a chance to become more than just a rat, his actions caused the death of the queen. Thus his fate became inextricably linked with the darkness in the dungeon and the darkness in his heart. As the narrator mentions, those who have their heart broken and put back together wrongly, can never be truly whole again. The mistreated, misunderstood servant girl, Miggery Sow is his collaborator.

Setting-

Reader, this is not a fairy tale, but it does feel like a fairy tale. The castle and the dungeon become real as we feel the darkness of the dungeon closing in with every step down the stairway. We know it is a desolate place as the rats describe the methods they use to prolong the suffering of the human hearts left to wither there. The dungeon is not just physical darkness; it is heart-wrenching, soul-draining darkness. The castle above is light with big windows and music and books and chances to fix past wrongs.

Theme-

Two themes emerge from this tale. The first is the symbolic contrast between light and darkness, good and evil. Those in darkness yearn for the light. The journey through the darkness is fraught with danger and self-examination but the light is worth the struggle. The second theme is that of destiny. Despereaux was a mouse who did not act like a mouse. Even so, maybe because of that fact, he had a special destiny.

Style-

Even though you, dear Reader, are reading the book, you get the feeling that you are sitting at the feet of a masterful storyteller as he weaves the tale for you. Ms. DiCamillo accomplishes this by talking, at times, directly to the reader. She switches between the storyline and discussion to clarify key vocabulary words, such as perfidy, and key concepts. She invites you to consider the characters feelings and actions. She gives the characters different voices by varying the vocabulary used and the sentence patterns. Gregory the jailer refers to himself as "Gregory" instead of "me" or "I". Despereaux's mother speaks with a French accent and sentence structure, "...such the disappointment." Miggery Sow, the servant girl, is loud and uncouth, frequently using the word "gore" as an expletive.

Audio Evaluation -

The recording was made by theater actor, Graeme Malcom. There are three CD's in the unabridged version. It takes three hours and 32 minutes to listen to A Tale of Despereaux. This recording was wonderful. Mr. Malcom used differing voices for the characters. There is introductory music at the beginning and at the end. Also at the end is a piece about the importance of audio books to reluctant readers. The outside box looks much like the cover of the book; however, the inside slipcase is a standard Listening Library case without the title or artwork.

Reviews-

Winner of the 2004 Newbery Medal

Children’s Literature- “This is a tale made for reading aloud and family enjoyment.”

School Library Journal- “With memorable characters, brief chapters, and inventive plot twists, this fast-paced romp is perfect for reading alone or sharing aloud.”

Kirkus Reviews-“The melodramatic voice of the narrator glides through DiCamillo's entirely pleasing tale, at times addressing the reader directly, at others, moving the reader back and forward in time”

Booklist-"Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul-stirring as it is delicious."

Connections-

*Read another fantasy book by Kate DiCamillo, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane ISBN 9780763625894

*Listen to the author read the first chapter and talk about her inspiration for writing this story at http://www.candlewick.com/cat.asp?browse=Title&mode=book&isbn=0763625299&pix=y.

*Read another Newbery Award winning book about mice and rats, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien ISBN 9780689710681

*Visit Kate DiCamillo's website http://www.katedicamillo.com/index.html.

*Choose a chapter to perform as reader's theater.

*Soup was outlawed for a time in the book. Find a recipe for soup with chicken and watercress and spices, just as Cook was making the evening Despereaux found her in the kitchen. Do you think soup really accomplishes all that is attributed to it in the book?

Fantasy & Contemporary Realistic Fiction - Review #2

Rosoff, Meg. 2004. How I Live Now. New York: Random House. ISBN 0385746776

Plot Summary-
This is the story of Daisy and her long journey to belonging in a family. Along the way, she saves her younger cousin, survives a third world war and redeems another cousin.

Critical Analysis-
Daisy leaves New York, her father, and stepmother for the English countryside to live with her Aunt and cousins whom she has never met. She has an eating disorder, her way of controlling her circumstances. As she gets to know her aunt and cousins, she feels loved and accepted and develops family bonds she has never had. A hint of psychic abilities exists between the cousins and, as Daisy notes, they seem to know what she is thinking without her saying anything. When the young people are left as orphans at the onset of World War III, they learn to rely on and take care of each other, even after they are separated by the foreign occupation of England. Daisy, in particular, transforms from being a self-centered teenager to a young woman who puts others first. This transformation happens as she first saves and sustains her younger cousin during the foreign occupation and then saves Edmond, her first love, from himself and his memories after the war.

Told in the first person voice of Daisy, the story is mostly of a past time in her life. Daisy's telling of her story is part of her journey to who she will become. After a six-year journey from the beginning of the novel to the end, Daisy is finally home.

Mrs. Rosoff's writing style is unique in that she uses no quotation marks to denote dialogue and takes extra liberties with capitalization rules. I found it very distracting. The overall story is definitely for young adults, high school and older.

Reviews-

Michael L. Printz Award 2003

Publishers Weekly- "This riveting first novel paints a frighteningly realistic picture of a world war breaking out in the 21st century."

Kirkus Reviews- “This is a very relatable contemporary story, told in honest, raw first-person and filled with humor, love, pathos, and carnage.”

Connections-

*Read other books by Meg Rosoff.

• Just in Case ISBN 9780385746786
• What I Was ISBN 9780670018444

*Visit the author's website. http://www.megrosoff.co.uk/

Fantasy & Contemporary Realistic Fiction - Review #1

DeTerlizzi, Tony and Holly Black. 2003. The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide. New York: Scholastic ISBN 0439597404

Plot Summary-

"Go away, close the book, put it down, do not look." so says the back cover of the book, but it is too late, you are already hooked.

After their parents' divorce, the Grace Children, older sister, Mallory, and twin brothers, Jared and Simon, are moving, with their mother, into Aunt Lucinda's old, run down, Victorian mansion. This transition does not go smoothly, however. The children hear noises within the walls and when strange things begin happening, it is Jared who discovers the cause of their troubles and finds the solution.

Critical Analysis-

Characters-

Children will find much to identify with in the book's characters. Mallory is the typical bossy big sister and Simon the quiet academic type. Jared is the sibling seemingly on the outside, trying to find his place.

Setting-

Aunt Lucinda's old Victorian mansion is the perfect setting for the strange happenings and unsolved mysteries. Readers expect it to have the obligatory secret passages, hidden rooms, dusty, worn out furnishings and rickety staircases that lead to damp and dark attics. The mansion does not disappoint and since the mansion has many unused and unexplored rooms, the reader has much material with which to imagine future adventures. Also, there is a map at the beginning of the book showing the mansion's relative position to the surrounding areas. Since these areas are not mentioned in the story, we know there will be further adventures.

Theme-

As Jared and his siblings move to begin a new life, the theme of change and adjusting to it is explored. Jared's adjustment is specifically chronicled and even though he is far from completing his journey, we get glimpses of his success.

The first sparks of self-confidence ignite as he chooses to perform the difficult tasks his siblings can not do. Being the only one small enough, Jared is the one who rides in the dumbwaiter looking for the "creature" making the noise in the wall. This leads to his discovery of the secret room with no doors or windows. Jared takes the initiative to collect clues and solve the mystery. He presents the evidence showing that they have a boggart in the house and tries to convince his mother and siblings to believe his conclusions. We know that Jared will make the adjustment to his new life and will be the better for it.

Style-

This short novel is set in contemporary time and the language and vocabulary is appropriate to such.

The authors do a fine job of explaining enough about the fantasy elements to keep the reader interested. The books in the mansion's secret library have titles like A Historie of Scottish Dwarves and A Compendium of Brownie Visitations from Around the World. Jared finds an old book, Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastic World Around You. It explains the difference between a Brownie and a Boggart and serves as Jared and the reader's guide to understanding the strange happenings in the mansion.

The authors begin the story with two letters. The first letter is from one of the authors giving the creative basis for the book. The other letter is from the Grade children themselves begging for their story to be told. While fictional, both of these letters draw the reader into the story, already it is easy to believe the story is true. Along with these letters, the map at the front of the book and the "authentic reproduction" of the first mysterious note further add to the book's believability.

Reviews-

Publishers Weekly – “Appealing characters, well-measured suspense and an inviting package will lure readers on to The Seeing Stone [Spiderwick Chronicles #2].”

Children’s Literature- “Detailed illustrations help bring the strange world of Spiderwick alive. Short paragraphs and "cliffhanger" chapters make the book especially unintimidating and intriguing for young readers.”

Kirkus Reviews- “Cleverly marketed as too dangerous to read, handsomely designed, and extravagantly illustrated this packs quite a punch.”

Connections-

*Read the other books in the Spiderwick Chronicles series.

• Spiderwick Chronicles #2 Seeing Stone ISBN 9781416950189
• Spiderwick Chronicles #3 Lucinda’s Secret ISBN 9780689859380
• Spiderwick Chronicles #4 Ironwood Tree ISBN 9781416950202
• Spiderwick Chronicles #5 Wrath of Mulgrath ISBN 9781416950219

*Read Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You ISBN 9781416960959

*Read the books in the next series called Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles

• Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles #1 Nixie's Song ISBN 9780689871313
• Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles #2 Giant Problem ISBN 780689871320

*Choose a chapter to perform as a reader's theater.

*Design a poster for the book that will make someone else want to read it.

*In the book, Jared supplied the boggart with a new house. Design a different house in which the boggart would want to live.

*In the book, Mallory's hobby was fencing. Learn more about this sport. Try these books.

• Velez, Carlos. 2008 En Garde! A Girl's Introduction to the World of Fencing. Photos by Alex J. Ripa. Wish Publishing ISBN 1930546890
• Nadi, Aldo. 2005. Nadi on Fencing. Dover Publications ISBN 0486443752

Historical Fiction - Review #3

Peck, Richard. 2003. The River Between Us. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0803727356.

Summary-
This is the story of one family at the onset of the Civil War. As they confront feelings and mindsets on both sides of the issues, they are forever changed.

Characters-
The story is told from the viewpoint of the main character, Tilly Pruitt. She finds herself confronting her own beliefs and that of society about slavery and what it means to be free. The new boarders at her mother's home are a young Creole woman and her young black companion. Understanding someone so different from her is a confusing and daunting task at times. Throughout the story, the young Creole, Delphine Duval is unlike anyone in the small town of Grand Tower, Illinois. She is confident, beautiful, and at times larger than life. Her presence challenges the Pruitt family to become more than they thought they could be.

Plot-
While the mystery surrounding Delphine Duval and her companion Calina is not revealed until the last fourth of the book, the whole of the story builds to the revelation of the mystery. Delphine was going north to escape the war surely coming to New Orleans. She knew it would forever change her situation and way of life. Hoping to make her own way in a new life far away from the attitudes and prejudices of the South, she finds refuge with the Pruitt family. They accept her, revealed secrets and all. Delphine is looking for a place where she can be who she is already.

Tilly, on the other hand, is looking for who she should be. She learns exactly what it is about her life that she likes and dislikes and is content to keep what she has. Facing her mother's rejection of her, she finds the strength to locate her brother and bring him home from the war.

As both girls nurse wounded soldiers back to health, confront their family histories, and make their way through a year of heartbreak, their lives become forever entwined.


Setting-
The story is set in Grand Tower, Illinois which is an actual town. The Mississippi River flows next to Grand Tower and separates Illinois and Missouri. In the 1860's, this was the line between the North and the South. The fact that once in Grand Tower Delphine felt safer, it technically being in the North, was surely only a psychological comfort because many of Grand Tower's citizens were Southerners at heart. To find a location that blurred the ideological and physical lines between the North and South was essential to this story.


This story depends on the Civil War just beginning for its plot. Delphine leaving New Orleans for the safer North, the boys of Grand Tower splitting between soldiering for the North and the South, and the differing viewpoints of the citizens of Grand Tower belong to the time as the war is beginning.

Theme-
The theme of the story is acceptance. It comes in many forms, acceptance of those who hurt others, physically and emotionally, acceptance of those who look and act different, acceptance of those who choose to think differently, and acceptance of those whose chosen path is different.

Style-
Mr. Peck is extremely talented at giving voice to his characters. Delphine's speech patterns are truly authentic to Creole speech. In addition, the vocabulary used is time specific, such as loblolly and moon-calfing. The dialect is clear as well, "We thought we et pretty good." (pg. 28)

Mr. Peck describes the land in detail for the reader to imagine. He describes the ridge of land called the Devil's Backbone, the Tower Rock on the Missouri side of the Mississippi, and the various plants and trees that grow in the area.

He also describes the mud and muck ever present in the towns as well as the squalid conditions of the "hospitals" in the army. It makes the reader glad of modern paving and hygiene practices.


Mr. Peck chooses to introduce this story by beginning it some 50 years after the Civil War. The only child from the generation after Tilly's has come home to see his aging parents and family, bringing his own boys with him. Grandma Tilly is telling the oldest boy the story of their family and the second chapter switches to the past events. The final chapter has Grandma Tilly finishing her tale and the grandsons and their father returning home. Along the way, the father has his own details to add to the story and a future to discuss with his oldest son.

After the story ends, Mr. Peck has a section telling more about the beginning of the war, the soldiers and soldiering, some Northern strategy, and of the society of "free people of color" of which Delphine had belonged.

Reviews-
Publishers Weekly - "The author crafts his characters impeccably and threads together their fates in surprising ways that shed light on the complicated events of the Civil War."

School Library Journal - "In the opening days of the Civil War, a genteel but worldly wise young woman and her companion step off a steamboat from New Orleans onto the dock of a provincial Illinois town. This richly told and evocatively realized novel tells how the strangers are taken into the Pruitts' home (and into their hearts), changing all of the characters' lives forever."

Kirkus Reviews -"Peck writes beautifully, bringing history alive through Tilly's marvelous voice and deftly handling themes of family, race, war, and history. A rich tale full of magic, mystery, and surprise."

2004 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

Connections-
*Grand Tower and Cairo, Illinois are real places. Use the Internet to find maps and learn more about these locales.

*Find and read about the history of New Orleans.

*Read more about the Creole people.

*People used many natural remedies for illness. Learn more about some of these. Visit a natural foods health store to learn more.

*Read other stories about the Civil War experience.

• The Boys' War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk about the Civil War by Jim Murphy. ISBN 9780395664124
• Civil War (an Eyewitness Book) by John Stanchak. ISBN 0789463024
• Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen. ISBN 0553526111 Note: This is for older readers.

*In The River Between Us, Delphine and Tilly nurse sick and wounded soldiers. Clara Barton was a real woman who did the same for many, many soldiers in the Civil War. Read about her accomplishments during the war and her life's work after the Civil War.

Historical Fiction - Review #2

Lowry, Lois. 1989. Number the Stars. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395510600. Also available on CD read by Blair Brown. ISBN 1400085551.

Summary-

This is the story of two families in German-occupied Denmark in 1943. One family is Jewish and the other is Danish. The Danish family must risk their lives to save their friends.

Characters-

The main character is ten year old Annemarie Johansen. Her best friend is Ellen Rosen, a Jewish girl. As the lives of Ellen and her family are threatened, Annemarie wonders if she is brave enough to face what will happen in the future. She would like to think so, but being untested, must wait for the trial to be sure. She also wonders about the goings on around her. Why would being Jewish and thus different, be a problem? Why would trusted adults lie to her? Although specific situations are different, some of these same questions echo in children's minds even today.

Ms. Lowry helps us empathize with Annemarie. Through her eyes, we see the German soldiers with their shiny boots and rifles, and grim, unsmiling faces. We hear the strange sounding German words and accents. We are scared, just as much as she.

Plot-

In this story, Annemarie's family helps their Jewish friends escape Denmark with the assistance of the Danish Resistance movement. This process, experienced through Annemarie, is confusing at best. She is told very little of what will happen and why and is told by her uncle that it is easier to be brave when you do not know all the answers. For the reader, this is experienced exactly as Annemarie experienced it with fear, joy, uncertainty, focus, and resolution.

Setting-

The book has two settings. One is Copenhagen, Denmark and the other is the Danish countryside/seaside. Throughout the book, we are given many examples of the hardships of war; no meat, no sugar, no coffee or tea, no leather for shoes, no material for new clothes, and the list continues. Annemarie tells of how the soldiers are on every street corner of Copenhagen and how they enjoy scaring the Danish people. She tells us how shops are boarded up with an official notice in German pasted to the door. In American society today, it is almost unfathomable.

Annemarie's friend, Ellen has never been to the countryside or seen the sea. As they travel there to help Ellen escape to Sweden, we enjoy Ellen's first experiences of walking barefoot through a meadow, picking meadow flowers, gazing upon the sea for the first time.

We can vividly imagine the dark, rocky, twisted root path Annemarie must take to reach her uncle in the story's climax. All throughout the book, we feel as if we are there, watching the action, not just reading about it.

Style-

Ms. Lowry uses her writing to help us feel the opposing forces in the story. The German's dialogue is in thick German accent. Since the book is written for English readers, the Danish characters' dialogue is written in English. This immediately helps the reader identify with the Danish characters. There are a few clues to indicate that the Danish characters are not really speaking English. Several comments are made by the characters lamenting the fact that after three years of occupation, the Germans still cannot speak Danish.

Knowing the Rosens arrived in Sweden safely, allows us to, at last, begin breathing again. But Ms. Lowry lets us know what becomes of the characters when the war finally ends. This is the last chapter of the story and it is a satisfying end. In the afterward, Ms. Lowry tells us which parts of the story are history and which parts are purely fiction. This allows us to marvel at the strength of character of the Danish people during World War II and helps us see a timeless theme. Sometimes things are bigger than just us and standing for what is right is never wrong even though, at times, it comes with great cost.

Audio Evaluation-

This presentation was an unabridged version on three CD's. The reader was Tony Award winner Blair Brown. She was the only reader and provided different voices for different characters. The sound quality was good, no background noises or static and the recorded volume level was appropriate throughout. There was background music only during the introduction and closing credits of the production. There were no sound effects to compliment the reading. I wish there had been a few although I did enjoy this presentation. It made the short day trip I had to make much more enjoyable.

Reviews-

Publishers Weekly - "The whole work is seamless, compelling, and memorable -- impossible to put down; difficult to forget."

School Library Journal - "The gripping story of a ten-year-old Danish girl and her family's courageous efforts to smuggle Jews out of their Nazi-occupied homeland to safety in Sweden. Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery. "

John Newbery Medal 1990

Connections-

*Read The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco ISBN 9780399231704. This picture book has a similar story. Compare and contrast the two stories.

*On a map of Denmark, trace the route that the Johansen family took to help their friends, the Rosens, escape.

*Do some research about World War II. How many countries did Germany occupy? Get a map of Europe and mark them.

*Learn more about the Danish resistance movement. There were other resistance movements in other countries. Learn about them as well.

*The Diary of Anne Frank is about World War II from a Jewish girl's perspective. How did her experiences compare to that of the Rosen's? How did her family survive?

*Imagine the reunion between Annemarie and Ellen after the war. What would it be like? Write a short dialogue to perform with a classmate that tells the story of this reunion.

*Dramatize a scene from this novel.

*Many Jewish people were never able to escape to safety. Use your local library and Internet resources to research these times and events known as the Holocaust.

Historical Fiction - Review #1

Schlitz, Laura Amy. 2007. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village. Ill. by Robert Byrd. Cambridge: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763615789.

Summary-
This book is a crossover between the historical fiction genre and the poetry genre. It is a collection of monologues and dialogues set in a medieval village in England in 1255. The voices are of the children and young adults who tell about their world through their own experiences.

Characters-
Many different classes and trades are represented by the young characters and it is not hard to find one with which to identify. For instance, who has not shared in the feeling of being laughed at but not understanding why? Such is the experience of Isobel, the lord's daughter. Opposite Isobel is Barbary, a young lady burdened with her tasks and station in life who sees Isobel, with her many privileges, and feels momentary outrage at the unfairness of the situation. Young men may identify with Hugo, the lord's nephew as he is off on his first hunt and his first kill.

Plot-
As the stories are told, we glimpse the life of medieval children. We learn of Will, the plowboy, struggling to farm the family's land after his father's death. We learn of boys, like Thomas, the doctor's son, and Otho, the miller's son, who are expected to follow in their father's occupational footsteps. Then there is Simon, the knight's son, who has aspirations of following his father into knighthood but never will because his father's participation in the Crusade has left his family bankrupt.

We learn of the tension between Christians and Jews from the dialogue between Jacob Ben Salomon, the moneylender's son, and Petronella, the merchant's daughter. We see their discovery that they are not really so different from one another after all. Through all these stories and more, we meet children, young people, and even parents who are from a different time and a different place, yet not so different from us.

Setting-
The medieval village is very different from modern day America. At the beginning of the book is a map. It shows the lord's manor and town inside the stone wall, the village outside the stone wall but within the wooden fence and gate, and the village and fields outside the gate. We are told stories of life in all three areas. On this map, each character is drawn and named to show their "place in time."

Some day-to-day challenges of living in a medieval village truly turn the stomach. Lowdy, the varlet's child, who lives inside the stone wall, laments about the pests, namely lice and fleas, which she must deal with daily. Mogg, the villein's daughter, who lives outside the wooden fence and gate, notices how the lord, "pinches his nose when he enters our hut," (pg. 25) and how their cow's dung patched the roof all through the winter.

Theme-
We each have a place to belong. This timeless theme echoes throughout the book. The characters are from all walks of life, classes, and professions yet each has his own place. Some characters are content, others are not. Some are acutely aware of their station while others are truly oblivious.

Style-
Schlitz chooses to write in three forms, namely free verse poetry, rhyming verse poetry, and prose. She gives each character a voice by varying the forms. Nelly, the sniggler's voice is prose. "I was born lucky. Nay, not born lucky, as you shall hear--but lucky soon after and ever after." (pg. 75)

Otho, the miller's son's voice is rhyming verse with a repeating refrain that echoes the constant, trudging spin of the water wheel.
"Oh, God makes the water, and the water makes the river,
And the river turns the mill wheel
and the wheel goes on forever.
Every man's a cheater, and so every man is fed,
For we feed upon each other,
when we seek our daily bread." (pg. 27)

Alice, the shepherdess' voice is free verse poetry.
"My mother died when I was born,
so I was suckled by one of the sheep.
It's made me--my father says--
more sheep than human,
which is true." (pg. 14)

Throughout the book, time specific vocabulary is used. For example sooth for truth and what's amiss for what's wrong. Many unfamiliar words are explained in the margins of the book. In addition, the author helps clarify thoughts and feelings of the time in the margins as well.

Also, there are six background pieces sprinkled throughout the book that further explain some aspects of medieval life, such as the three-field system, medieval pilgrimages, the Crusades, falconry, etc.

Personal Note-
I mentioned to my fourteen year old son that he would enjoy reading this book. He told me he had already picked it up off my desk and read about a few of the characters. He especially liked Hugo, the lord' son, off on his first hunt. Since my son loves to hunt, he knew exactly what Hugo was feeling.

Review Excerpts-

Kirkus Reviews -"Schlitz takes the breath away with unabashed excellence in every direction."

The Horn Book -"Schlitz gives teachers a refreshing option for enhancing the study of the European Middle Ages: here are seventeen monologues and two dialogues that collectively create a portrait of life on an English manor in 1255."

School Library Journal - "Couplets, blank verse, and prose bring children living in a medieval village in 1255 to life in this Newbery Medal-winning book (Candlewick, 2007) by Laura Amy Schlitz....The language is lyrical and the separate stories mesh to provide a rich picture of medieval life."

Connections-

*Choose a character to portray as a monologue or dialogue. After all, this book was written specifically for this purpose. Have fun being someone who lived long ago.

*Read Crispin: the Cross of Lead (ISBN 9780786816583) by Avi. Can you find similarities between this book and Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village? Can you find the same types of people in both books? Compare any characters you find common to both books.

*Read other books about medieval times.

• Damsels Not in Distress : the True Story of Women in Medieval Times by Andrea Hopkins. ISBN 9780823939923
• Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Medieval Castle by Joanna Cole ISBN 9780590108201
• The Middle Ages by Andread Bachini ISBN 9780764109485