Book Review for Catherine, Called Birdy

Book Review by Allie Davis
MLIS 5603 Literature for Children and Young Adults

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cushman, Karen. Catherine Called Birdy. Boston: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2012.  ISBN 0547722184
http://www.karencushman.com/about/bio.html

PLOT SUMMARY
Catherine, Called Birdy is an historical fiction novel for young children.  Catherine is the only daughter of a middle-class knight whose family owns a small English manor, Stonebridge, in the 1290s.  According to the customs of the time, the time has come for Catherine, Birdy, to settle down and marry.  However, Birdy has other ideas.  She is determined that she will not settle down, wishing instead to become an artist, a monk, a crusader, etc. instead of submitting to the normal expectations for women of the Middle Ages.  Her story is told through a one year diary format in which we see her grow and mature into a young woman who finds herself and her place in Medieval society, a lady willing to negotiate the terms of her marriage and whom eventually compromises a happy-medium with her father regarding her marriage.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
     The characters in Catherine, Called Birdy, are both believable and identifiable, even by modern standards.  Birdy's family is a normal family with sibling rivalry, fighting with parents, punishments, and moments of tenderness.  Catherine, herself, is a "free-spirited" girl, who by the conventions of the day, comes across rebellious and ungrateful.  She plays tricks on her suitors to drive them away, painting her teeth so they look decayed, setting the privy on fire, and telling lies about her own ugliness.  Yet her mother and father are typical of the time period.  Her father, a knight, only wishes to improve his place in society with a marriage contract between his daughter and someone wealthy, while her mother is the subservient, submissive wife who does exactly as she's expected to do: run an house and have babies.  Many historical elements are sneaked in under the guise of telling their stories, keeping the story from becoming heavy with burdensome facts.  We learn about realistic life in the 1290s: flea bites, miscarriages, public executions, cold winters, and frozen farm-life, but in a manner that easily will hold the attention of even the youngest listeners.  
     The novel is written in simplistic European English, with several examples of Medieval phrases to improve realism. "Corpus Bones" easily becomes identifiable as cursing from "back in the day," even to young readers. Written by dates, sometimes Catherine's entries are short when she is busy or frustrated, and sometimes they are filled with emotion and become lengthy with her details.  The entries capture many aspects of children's lives and emotions of the era, most still recognizable today-fear, anger, rebellion, and even curiosity.  Also included in each daily entry are brief snippets of information on different feasts of the saints that were celebrated during the Middle Ages.  
     Several themes emerge during the course of the story.  A strong-willed person has a hard time fitting into society, a common theme, even by today's standards.  And although women are not usually forced into marriage by someone else's choosing, most can identify with the obvious female inequality faced by women of all levels of society.  The universal theme, overall, in my opinion relates to humans maturing and growing to understand that even in compromising about unpleasant circumstances faced in life, we all must find ourselves and be true to self while still making sacrifices for the "good of the whole."
     Karen Cushman ends her first novel with an Author's Note in which she describes the differences in land and language of Old and Modern England, but also in human perspective and identity.  She explains the hierarchy of the Medieval Feudal society and the role of the church, closing with a list of other books about Medieval England, including both information and fictional texts.  
     

AWARDS

• 1996 Nominee California Book Award
• 1997 Audie Award
• ALA Best Book for Young Adults
• ALA Notable Book for Children
• ALA Recommended Book for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
• Booklist Editors' Choice
• Golden Kite Award
• Horn Book Fanfare Selection
• IRA Teachers' Choice
• 1995 Newbery Honor Book
• School Library Journal, Best Books of the Year
• American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists"
• South Carolina Book Award
• New York Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
• Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Awards
• Commonwealth Club Silver Medal
• Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts
• Commonwealth Club of California Medal
• Carl Sandburg Literary Arts Award
• International Board on Books for Young People Honor List
• ABC Children's Booksellers Choice Award

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

·       Horn Book Guide, “…Her diary of the year 1290 provides a revealing, amusing, and vivid picture of both Catherine's thoughts and medieval life. Her rebellious nature, questioning mind, and kindness to all creatures make her a sympathetic figure in this fascinating and thought-provoking book. Horn Rating: Outstanding, noteworthy in style, content, and/or illustration."  © Copyright September 1, 1994
·       School Library Journal, “The 14-year-old daughter of a rustic knight records the events of her days in the year 1290, writing perceptive, scathing, and often raucously funny observations about her family, friends, and would-be suitors. A delightful, rebellious heroine, determined not to marry the man of her father's choice." © September 1, 1997
·       Publisher’s Weekly, "A Newbery Honor Book, this witty and wise fictive diary of a 13th-century English girl, according to PW, 'introduces an admirable heroine and pungently evokes a largely unfamiliar setting.'' © May 15, 1995

CONNECTIONS

Gather other Newberry Honor books to read such as:
·       2015-Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, ISBN  0147515823
·       2014-One Came Home by Amy Timberlake, ISBN 0375873457
·       2013-Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage,  ISBN 0441019242

Gather other Karen Cushman books to read such as:

·       Grayling's Song, ISBN 0544301803
·       The Midwife's Apprentice, ISBN 0547722176

Use as an introduction to the Middle Ages, Medieval Period, role of women, dowries, father/daughter relations, and peasant life, rebellion, and gender roles.
http://www.karencushman.com/books/catherine.html
https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=1240
http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/catherine-called-birdy/#gsc.tab=0

Similar Titles:

·       Richard, Platt, Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess. ISBN 0763621641
·       Avi. Crispin: The Cross of Lead. ISBN 0786816589
·       Blackwood, Gary, The Shakespeare Stealer. ISBN 0141305959