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ajsterkel 's review for:
The Midwife's Apprentice
by Karen Cushman
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!