Karen Cushman - The Midwife's Apprentice

Pros: Great read!

Cons: none

Review: The Midwife's Apprentice, by Karen Cushman, is a wonderful tale of a small girl and her adventures while growing from a child into a young woman. It is easy to see why this book won the Newberry Medal.

The tale starts with a small...

Pros: inspirational story, appropriate for young readers

Cons: would have liked more detailed writing

Review: Karen Cushman won a Newbery Medal in 1996 for her second young adult novel, The Midwife's Apprentice. It is a short book with a clear message about confidence in oneself.

The story, set in the Middle Ages, concerns a young girl,...

Pros: Strong young female protagonist

Cons: hurried, harried ending

Review: The Midwife's Apprentice is one of the few gems that I actually have the privilege to teach. This book is an excellently written one that deals with the harsh truths of life for a medieval child of the streets.

The greatest strength of this...

Pros: well-written, holds one's interest well

Cons: None

Review: Beetle is a homeless orphan girl living during the Middle Ages. She finds employment with a cranky, greedy midwife who sees her only as a cheap source of labor. Beetle hopes to learn midwifery by eavesdropping and discreetly watching the midwife (who...

Pros: self-creation, ironic humor, believable medieval messiness

Cons: psychological hurry, character reversal, plot conveniences

Review: An orphan girl of indeterminate age literally makes a name for herself in THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE, Karen Cushman's Newbery-winning second novel. Medieval England is the setting for this brief but very vivid story of the nameless child who is found one...