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ainiali's review against another edition
3.0
Following 17 typical characters that exist in the medieval time, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! is written in verses and intended for stage play eventho it's a delight for silent read too.
I was ready to give it 5 stars after a few characters because I thought it's very informative and suitable for children to learn from. However, there was a point where Muslim, Palestine, Jesus' birthplace & Israel were mentioned and one information is just not accurate, tho what you want to believe depends on which side of the fence you're on. I was quite disturbed by that and I literary cannot concentrate afterward. I did finished it but my whole view of it changed tremendously.
stenaros's review against another edition
4.0
This has been on my Goodreads list for years, and I finally read it because I noticed it while volunteering at the library shelving books. This is a fun series of poems/monologues of young people in a medieval village. It's a quick read and the sidebar historical information is interesting too. I also loved the YA novel this author wrote, A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama.
greektragedyy's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great poetry book. Takes place in meadival times. It several different takes on all the vilagers lives.
karak's review against another edition
3.0
The shortest Newberry I've read to date. Tried to get my kids to read it out loud with me. They had no interest.
kibbles15's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a fun and informative way of introducing youth to the Middle Ages. I liked how the author taught about the culture of the time through the eyes of children from the era. I listened to the audio version which used a full cast to perform each of the included monologues. I definitely enjoyed listening to this book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Bullying, Classism, Child death, Child abuse, Racism, and Chronic illness
clarkco's review against another edition
2.0
Edutainment. I can't imagine a kid picking this up voluntarily.
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
At long last I've got my hands on the 2008 Newbery winner, and it has my seal of approval (actually, I just put the Newbery sticker on the spine, since it was my library's copy and has been in circulation constantly since before it won the shiny gold medal). I can with near certainty say I would've loved this in middle school. We did a whole medieval unit in about 6th grade, just like Schlitz describes in her forward, with model castles and everything. We even enacted a play about Sir Gawain, and this book would've been a perfect addition to our curriculum. At the very least, Bronwen and I could've read it aloud to each other while we textured our castle walls.
In all seriousness, it's a great combination of things. There are the dramatic monologues and dialogues that make up the bulk of the book - some are funny, some are depressing, but they all manage to pack in an incredible amount of information without sacrificing emotion or interest. Footnotes (found delightfully in the side columns) define archaic words or cultural references. A few sections called "a little background" are inserted in between stories, giving more information on pilgrimage, the Crusades, Falconry, Jews in society, town vs country life, and farming practices. Far from being dry, these answer questions about What It Was Really Like that were rarely found in my 6th grade history book. As Schlitz points out in the forward, she usually got that sense of history from novels, not history lessons. I've had exactly the same experience, and I'm happy to say this book falls into the "novel" camp.
I was pleasantly surprised by Robert Byrd's illustrations, and how much they added to the book. From the tiny image of the cover art seen online, I was underwhelmed - it all looked a bit too soft and cartoony. But up close, the details really bring the illustrations to life and compliment the stories perfectly.
I keep talking about middle school, but I think the book could go a few years younger, too - although I don't know if younger students could manage to actually memorize and perform the monologues.
In all seriousness, it's a great combination of things. There are the dramatic monologues and dialogues that make up the bulk of the book - some are funny, some are depressing, but they all manage to pack in an incredible amount of information without sacrificing emotion or interest. Footnotes (found delightfully in the side columns) define archaic words or cultural references. A few sections called "a little background" are inserted in between stories, giving more information on pilgrimage, the Crusades, Falconry, Jews in society, town vs country life, and farming practices. Far from being dry, these answer questions about What It Was Really Like that were rarely found in my 6th grade history book. As Schlitz points out in the forward, she usually got that sense of history from novels, not history lessons. I've had exactly the same experience, and I'm happy to say this book falls into the "novel" camp.
I was pleasantly surprised by Robert Byrd's illustrations, and how much they added to the book. From the tiny image of the cover art seen online, I was underwhelmed - it all looked a bit too soft and cartoony. But up close, the details really bring the illustrations to life and compliment the stories perfectly.
I keep talking about middle school, but I think the book could go a few years younger, too - although I don't know if younger students could manage to actually memorize and perform the monologues.
nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
Great little book about medieval life, very realistic and historically accurate. A surprise winner of the Newbery Award; it's short and very heavily illustrated with pseudo-illluminated manuscript pictures. What's really cool is that it's a series of monologues or two-person scenes, and it was created for teachers to use with classrooms. I love that! Plus the scenes are often funny. And gritty--no covering up the hard cold facts of life for those who lived back in those times.
ubalstecha's review against another edition
4.0
A very nice collection of monologues and dialogues about fictional people in the middle ages. Written by a school librarian for the students she was helping with their research, almost every facet of Medieval life is covered in this book. Rich people, poor people, the church, the lives of women.
This would be a great addition to your classroom or home library.
This would be a great addition to your classroom or home library.