Module 4: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village

Book Summary: This book is set up more like a play.  There are numerous characters and every page or two gives a glimpse of what each one is like.   At the beginning of each short story or monologue, there’s a name for the character as well as their classification.  This book is set back in England, in 1255.  Not only are there stories, but there’s also songs with music that is helpful if you play an instrument. 

APA Reference of Book: Schlitz, L. A., & Byrd, R. (2007). Good masters! Sweet Ladies!: voices from a medieval village. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Impressions: Not a book that I would have chosen to read on my own.  It a bit choppy for me, since all the stories are so separate from each other.  I can see how this is fun for students, since they could easily do a play and each would have many lines t o read.  To me, maybe it was the illustrations that were off putting.  It just does not look like a book that says pick me up and read.  It’s more of a “you have to” read me for a history assignment.  There were some cute stories, but overall, not my favorite.  Some of the words were confusing and I am not a fan of the footnotes.  I don’t enjoy books that make me feel dumb…

Professional Review: 

Gr 4-8-Monologues capture the spirit of young people in a vividly imagined, picturesque 13th-century English village, where childhood is fleeting and survival is a daily concern. Pastel panels frame the pages and anchor the minutely detailed, earthy, ink-and-watercolor rural scenes. Notes and sidebars offering fascinating asides make this a perfect mix of fiction and nonfiction.  Winner of the 2008 Newbery Medal.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village. (2008). (Book Review). School Library Journal, 5440-42.

Library Uses: I would have the students read the book as it was written, in monologues.  They would be the star of the show.