The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman

1. Bibliography 

Cushman, Karen. The Midwife's Apprentice. New York, NY: HarperTrophy, 1996.

2. Plot Summary

 

The narrator of Karen Cushman’s The Midwife’s Apprentice, set in medieval England, is known only by “Brat”, has no family, no home, and no future. When she meets a midwife, “Brat” begins to learn, have a steady place to live, and for the first time ever, a name and the possibility of a future. 

3. Critical Analysis

This story is set in medieval England and pulls reader’s into the life of a poor, homeless, familyless, nameless girl through first person narration. This book gives the reader a picture of the common man in medieval England through the eyes of its narrator. After spending years traveling between villages, begging for food and work, and being bullied, Brat, as she is called, sleeps in a dung heap on the property of the villages’ midwife, and Jane, the midwife, allows Brat (now called Beetle) a place to stay in exchange for work. This starts the narrator’s journey to creating, for the first time, a life for herself. Beetle (later called Alyce) finds in the end that she has options in life, “as she chewed on a grass, Alyce smiled. From someone who had no place in the world, she had suddenly become someone with a surfeit of places.” The narrator is innocent and curious, and young reader’s will connect with her growing desire to think about her future. This short, enjoyable read, also gives the reader information about this history of midwifery through the author’s note at the end. Readers can learn about midwifery’s start, ride in popularity, and its resurgence in modern times. This book is, at times, slow in action. It is an easy read, however, and young audiences or hesitant readers may find success reading this book. 

4. Award(s) and Review Excerpt(s)

• 1996 Newbery Award
  
• From School Library Journal: “With simplicity, wit, and humor, Cushman presents another tale of medieval England”
  
• From Kirkus Review: “It's a rouser for all times.”

5. Connections

Gather other Karen Cushman books:

• Catherine, Called Birdy. ISBN 0547722184
  
• The Ballad of Lucy Whipple. ISBN 054772215X
  
• Matilda Bone. ISBN 0547722427
  
• Will Sparrow’s Road. ISBN 0544336321
  

Gather other historical fiction Newbery Award Winning books:

• Dalgliesh, Alice. The Courage of Sarah Noble. ISBN 0689715404
  
• Yates, Elizabeth. Amos Fortune, Free Man. ISBN 0140341587
  
• Sperry, Armstrong. Call it Courage. ISBN 9780689713910

Use as a read aloud with elementary school students 

Have students write and perform scenes of the story

Use to talk about bullying

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

1. Bibliography

Sepetys, Ruta. Between Shades of Gray. New York, NY: Scholastic, 2012.

2. Plot Summary 

After Soviet secret police barge into their home in the middle of the night, fifteen year old Lina and her Lithuanian family are deported to Siberia. Her mother, brother, and Lina face hard labor, inhumane conditions, and constant fear of death, as well as the uncertainty about their father’s fate. Will her family survive?

3. Critical Analysis

This book is set in part in Lithuania and then Siberia during the 1941 Soviet invasion. Being of Lithuanian descent herself, Ruta Sepetys tells the lesser known true story of the experience of the Lithuanians under Joseph Stalin’s rule when more than twenty million people were murdered. The main character, Lina, represents one of those Lithuanians exiled from their homes and shipped off to Siberia and the Arctic Circle. Readers will connect to Lina as they read the flashbacks from her life before the exile of her family. She is enjoying her youth, beginning to have crushes on boys, and is beginning to think about her future. In contrast, her life after exile is about only survival. In the heart wrenching story, readers see the importance of family, community, and learn a story in history that is often overlooked through first person narration. This book is both incredibly enjoyable to read with its beautiful, lyric language, as well important because of the historical story it tells. More mature middle school students and high school students are a good audience for this read. Adults can also read, enjoy, and learn about a tragedy in history that is not often spoken about.  

4. Award(s) and Review Excerpt(s)

• 2012-2013 Texas Lone Star Book
  
• From Kirkus Review: “Sepetys' flowing prose gently carries readers through the crushing tragedy of this tale that needs telling."
  
• From School Library Journal: “Unrelenting sadness permeates this novel, but there are uplifting moments when the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity for compassion take over. This is a gripping story that gives young people a window into a shameful, but likely unfamiliar history.”

5. Connections

Gather these other books by Ruta Sepetys:

• Salt to the Sea. ISBN 978-0399160301
  
• The Fountains of Silence. ISBN 978-1432870331
  
• Out of the Easy. ISBN 978-0147508430
  

Gather these other historical fiction books set during World War II:

• Lowry, Lewis. Number the Stars. ISBN 0547577095
  
• Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker. The War That Saved My Life. ISBN 978-0147510488
  
• Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. ISBN 0375842209
  

Use as supplement in a study of World War II

Use in literature circles with other historical fiction books like the ones listed above

Have students create dramas of scenes to perform

The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz

 

1. Bibliography

Schlitz, Laura Amy. The Hired Girl. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2017.

2. Plot Summary 

Laura Amy Schlitz wrote a heart-warming and engaging historical fiction story about a young, poor farm girl named Joan in the early 20th century as she tries to make her way in the world with little options. When she is forced by her father to quit school and work only at the farm, Joan decides to take matters into her own hands and go after the life she has always dreamed of. 

3. Critical Analysis

The narrator of this book is a young farm girl named Jane who is both wise for her age and incredibly innocent because of her love of books and learning and her poor, humble upbringing. Written in the form of her diary entries, readers will laugh along as Jane comes to conclusions about life such as, “...because I think it’s bad when girls think too highly of men. It’s more suitable when the men worship the ladies.” Jane also explores questions of faith as she learns more about her own budding Catholic faith as well as about the Jewish faith from the family she works for. Her innocence fades and she begins to experience more of the world through exposure to anti-semitism, love, and social class in this historical fiction text set in early 20th century America. Readers will get a sense of what 20th century America had to offer for women and the poor. The story is both heartwarming and inspiring as Jane slowly learns, feels loved, and creates for herself a life with opportunity beyond the limits of her difficult circumstances. Young adult and adult readers alike will enjoy this novel. 

4. Award(s) and Review Excerpt(s)

• 2016 Scott O’Dell Award
  
• From School Library Journal: “A wonderful look into the life of a strong girl who learns that she needs the love of others to truly grow up.”
  
• From The Kirkus Review: “The diary format allows Joan's romantic tendencies full rein, as well as narrative latitude for a few highly improbable scenarios and wildly silly passion. Tons of period details, especially about clothing, round out a highly satisfying and smart breast-clutcher from this Newbery-winning author.”

5. Connections

Gather these other books by Laura Amy Schlitz:

• Splendors and Glooms. ISBN 978-0763653804
  
• The Night Fairy. ISBN 978-0763652951
  
• Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village. ISBN 9780763650940
  

Gather these other Scott O’Dell Award Winners: 

• Lai, Thanhhà. Butterfly Yellow. ISBN 978-0062229212
  
• Cline, Ransome. Finding Langston. ISBN 978-0823439607
  
• Wolk, Lauren. Beyond the Bright Sea. ISBN 978-1101994856
  
• Holm, Jenifer L. Full of Beans. ISBN 978-0553510362
  
• Larson, Kirby. Dash (Dogs of World War II). ISBN 978-0545416351
  

Have students use one of the scenes from The Hired Girl to create a drama to be performed.

Use as an introduction to discussing social class in history and now in the U.S.  

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? By Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

1. Bibliography

Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. What Do You Do with a Tail like This? Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.

2. Plot Summary

Through illustrations, questions, and scientific facts, readers can explore many different species including Jack Rabbits, Bats, and Skunks in this fun, interactive book by Steve Jenkins. 

3. Critical Analysis

This fun, playful, inquisitive, informational children’s book asks the question, “what do you do with a tail like this?” as well as “feet like these”, “eyes like these”, and more. Readers will begin to wonder about the purpose of parts, and Jenkins provides the answers. “If you’re a giraffe, you brush off pesky flies with your tail,” he shares. Along with answers to what animal parts are used for, Jenkins includes colorful illustrations of the animals and their different parts, giving readers a visual for the information being shared. Young readers can listen and look along, absorbing the information. Along with the child friendly short answers and illustrations, Jenkins provides longer descriptions and information in the back of the book. This book is both fun and a great resource for young readers who are interested in animals. 

4. Award(s) and Review Excerpt(s)

• 2004 Caldecott 
  
• From School Library Journal: “Jenkins, this time in collaboration with his wife, has created yet another eye-opening book.”
  
• From Kirkus Review: “Not only does Jenkins (Life on Earth, 2002, etc.) again display a genius for creating paper-collage wildlife portraits with astonishingly realistic skin, fur, and feathers, but here on alternate spreads he zooms in for equally lifelike close-ups of ears, eyes, noses, mouths, feet, and tails.”
  

5. Connections

Gather other texts by Steve Jenkins:

• Creature Features: Twenty-Five Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do. ISBN 0544233514
  
• Never Smile at a Monkey: And 17 Other Important Things to Remember. ISBN 061896620X
  
• Actual Size. ISBN 0618375945
  

Gather other non fiction texts for younger audiences:

• Brown, Margaret Wise. The Important Book. ISBN 0064432270
  
• Keating, Jess. What Makes a Monster?: Discovering the World's Scariest Creatures. ISBN 0553512307
  
• Stewart, Melissa. Can an Aardvark Bark? ISBN 1481458523
  
• Bishop, Nic. Penguin Day. ISBN 0545206367
  

Use as an introduction to a biology unit

Use to model author’s purpose