Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Unless the point of this book was to depict the life of an orphan in medieval England… it was useless.
Given it’s title the midwife’s apprentice, I expected Alyce to learn how to be a midwife. Not help a farmer give birth to a cow then fail to deliver a baby and run way only to return.
The characters were mostly flat and kind of just rude half the time.
I’m still trying to figure out how this won an award.
Given it’s title the midwife’s apprentice, I expected Alyce to learn how to be a midwife. Not help a farmer give birth to a cow then fail to deliver a baby and run way only to return.
The characters were mostly flat and kind of just rude half the time.
I’m still trying to figure out how this won an award.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I read this a long time ago but found I really enjoyed Cushman's writing and I love historical novels especially those set in the 1500-1600's. It is a quick read but enjoyable.
The Newbery committees seem to have a deep love for books set in Medieval Europe. Maybe because you can disguise education as sword fighting? I don’t know. There seems to be a lot of Medieval Europe Newbery winners.
The Good: The Midwife’s Apprentice is skillfully written. The author avoids educational info dumps while seamlessly blending facts with an entertaining story. I learned a few things about the superstitions of Medieval midwives. The main character is an orphan who has been abused for her entire life. When she takes a job as a midwife’s apprentice, she learns that she is valuable and capable of accomplishing anything. She also learns not to quit when life gets complicated. It’s a good message for preteens. I think a lot of middle-school-aged kids struggle with their self-esteem, so they’d find the character relatable.
The Bad: For an adult reader (and maybe for some young readers), it’s extremely predictable. Predictability takes some of the fun out of the reading experience.
The Bottom Line: For an educational story, it moves quickly and holds the reader’s attention. I’d recommend reading it with your kids instead of just handing it over. Medieval midwives had some . . . um . . . unusual ideas about pregnancy and childbirth. It could be confusing for younger kids.
Guess what? I have a blog! See more of my reviews here: Read All The Things!
The Good: The Midwife’s Apprentice is skillfully written. The author avoids educational info dumps while seamlessly blending facts with an entertaining story. I learned a few things about the superstitions of Medieval midwives. The main character is an orphan who has been abused for her entire life. When she takes a job as a midwife’s apprentice, she learns that she is valuable and capable of accomplishing anything. She also learns not to quit when life gets complicated. It’s a good message for preteens. I think a lot of middle-school-aged kids struggle with their self-esteem, so they’d find the character relatable.
“Just because you don't know everything don't mean you know nothing.” – The Midwife’s Apprentice
The Bad: For an adult reader (and maybe for some young readers), it’s extremely predictable. Predictability takes some of the fun out of the reading experience.
The Bottom Line: For an educational story, it moves quickly and holds the reader’s attention. I’d recommend reading it with your kids instead of just handing it over. Medieval midwives had some . . . um . . . unusual ideas about pregnancy and childbirth. It could be confusing for younger kids.
Guess what? I have a blog! See more of my reviews here: Read All The Things!
A great read for grades 4-7th (?) I passed in on to my older to. It goes into English history by way of a homeless teenagers experience.
I hadn't read this since I was a kid. Fun, brief historical fiction about... a child midwife? Okay, that's a little weird. But the Middle Ages were a pretty weird time, I suppose...
I picked this up because I was fascinated to read about how midwifery was handled for a juvenile audience. You know how people freak out about kids knowing where babies come from? It was interesting from that perspective, but I ended up really enjoying the book. The protagonist is a homeless, nameless ragamuffin who gets taken in by a village midwife and learns a bit about the work of bringing babies into the world. The confidence that comes from having a place in the world starts to change the girl. She gives herself a name, builds a family of sorts, overcomes some frightening challenges and develops into a capable, independent person. Without being too moralistic, this was a real "can do" story. I enjoyed it so much. I especially loved that the cat was a main character. Sometimes your cat is your only friend! That's real!