This novel is a delightful young adult novel set in the thirteenth century. What makes this book so great is that it covers the middle class rather than the Lords or the peasants, which are the subject of most novels covering this time period. Birdy is simply a delightful character. She is a typical, innocent teenager. Some of the items I thought were really hilarious were her discussions on baths, fleas, and farts. She makes a comment about how much Jews were hated and she doesn’t know why –... (show more)

This novel is a delightful young adult novel set in the thirteenth century. What makes this book so great is that it covers the middle class rather than the Lords or the peasants, which are the subject of most novels covering this time period. Birdy is simply a delightful character. She is a typical, innocent teenager. Some of the items I thought were really hilarious were her discussions on baths, fleas, and farts. She makes a comment about how much Jews were hated and she doesn’t know why – which allows the young reader to realize the scope and depth of that issue.
There are some allusions to the ideas of Gulliver’s Travels and Dr. Doolittle. I wonder whether this is an anachronistic touch added by Cushman or whether these works are based on much older legends. A funny part comes from this when the reader realizes that Catherine believes these stories but she does not believe in elephants. Worth reading and I will be teaching this novel soon. (show less)

This novel by Avi is a young adult novel written in a very distinct format. Parts of it were written as a play, a journal, and as correspondence between the principle characters. It also presents a pretty sad commentary on today’s world that makes this novel relevant even today. The main character gets kicked out of class for breaking rules twice, which he eventually got suspended for. His latest offense was humming “The Star Spangled Banner.” After he got suspended, the media got wind of the... (show more)

This novel by Avi is a young adult novel written in a very distinct format. Parts of it were written as a play, a journal, and as correspondence between the principle characters. It also presents a pretty sad commentary on today’s world that makes this novel relevant even today. The main character gets kicked out of class for breaking rules twice, which he eventually got suspended for. His latest offense was humming “The Star Spangled Banner.” After he got suspended, the media got wind of the story, and he became a sort of hero. A characterization that he did not avoid, and he contributed to the way he was being presented. By the end of the story and all the hoopla was over, he had to change schools. On his first day at his new school, he was to lead the class in “The Star Spangled Banner.” He started crying because he didn’t know the words. (show less)