Author: Laura Amy Schlitz
Illustrator: Robert Byrd
Publisher: Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4332-4
Grade Level: 5-8
Genre: Nonfiction
Plot Summary: Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-85).;Hugo, the Lord's nephew -- Taggot, the blacksmith's daughter -- Will, the plowboy -- Alice, the shepherdess -- Thomas, the doctor's son -- Constance, the pilgrim -- Mogg, the villein's daughter -- Otho, the miller's son -- Jack, the half-wit -- Simon, the knight's son -- Edgar, the falconer's son -- Isobel, the Lord's daughter -- Barbary, the mud slinger -- Jacob Ben Salomon, the moneylender's son, and Petronella, the merchant's daughter -- Lowdy, the varlet's child -- Pask, the runaway -- Piers, the glassblower's apprentice -- Mariot and Maud, the glassblower's daughters -- Nelly, the sniggler -- Drogo, the tanner's apprentice -- Giles, the beggar. A collection of short one-person plays featuring characters, between ten and fifteen years old, who live in or near a thirteenth-century English manor.
Themes/Tags: Middle Ages, children's literature, historical fiction, poetry, England
Reviews and Awards: Wilson's Children 01/01/09, Wilson's Junior High School 11/01/08, Newbery Medal/Honor 01/14/08, School Library Journal starred 08/01/07, Notable/Best Books (A.L.A.) 01/01/08, Booklist starred 08/01/07, Horn Book starred 04/01/08, Book Links starred 01/01/08
Extensions: It's obvious, but impossible NOT to use this book in a performance capacity. Using the media center, dedicate a month to study of the middle ages. Along with books and other media on display, culminate the end of the month with a performance of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Those who do not have speaking parts will assist with backdrops, audio (music), and video.
GPS: ELA6R3 The student reads aloud, accurately (in the range of 95%), familiar material in a variety of genres, in a way that makes meaning clear to listeners.
ELA6RC4 The student establishes a context for information acquired by reading across subject areas.
Terri's Review ►►►►► 5 Bean & Cheese Nachos (out of 5)
Due to the response from a couple of fellow media specialists, I had already prejudged this book to be a head-scratching doozy. Imagine my surprise... I LOVED it! I also love that it was written by a bona-fide media specialist! I enjoyed it was written as a series of monologues. Each character portrays a person of various status or trade in this fictional midieval village. Some of the monologues are written as poetry, others as lyrical prose. The stories are those of hard times and social status -- or lack of. Interspersed throughout the pages are footnotes on odd words and background information on unusual practices. Several "history" pages are interspersed to give greater detail on topics such as the role of the miller or the Crusades. Very interesting and very well-written, I will leave you with this catchy excerpt from "Otho, The Millers Son":
Oh, God makes the water, and the water makes the river,
And the river turns the mill wheel
and the wheel goes on forever.
There's no use in looking back,
for here's the truth I've found:
It's hunger, want, and wickedness
that makes the world go 'round.