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shoelessmama's review against another edition
4.0
Easily read in an afternoon.
ainiali's review against another edition
3.0
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
greektragedyy's review against another edition
4.0
karak's review against another edition
3.0
kibbles15's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Racism, Excrement, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
clarkco's review against another edition
2.0
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
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