Library & Information Science, Course 262: Resources for Young Adults.
Dr. David Loertscher

w1ag

Cushman, Karen. (1996). The Ballad of Lucy Whipple. Houghton Mifflin Co., New York.

Like many families in the East, the adventure-seeking Whipples decided to make California their new home. At least Mama and Pa Whipple did. California Morning Whipple (as was Lucy's authentic birthname) didn't want any part of it! Since she was only a young girl, she had no say in the matter. After Pa died of pneumonia, Mama Whipple packed up California and her three younger siblings, sold everything they had in their civilized Massachusetts town, and boarded "...a ship with raggedy sails to seek our fortune in the gold fields of California." This is a very entertaining novel. It captures the wonderful flavor of early California during the gold rush days, and the interesting, sometimes sad,sometimes funny story of an adolescent girl trying to find her place in life, the place that feels like home.

Cushman, Karen. (1994). Catherine, Called Birdy. HarperCollins Publishers, New York.

Catherine of Stonebridge of Lincolnshire, England is a 14-year-old, with a mind of her own. She is not your typical young lady of the manor. Her brother Edward has taught her to read and write (an unusual opportunity for a female of her time). The year is 1290 and Catherine has been assigned the task of writing her life's story in a daily journal for this entire year by her mother and brother, in the hopes that it will make her more ladylike. Catherine's headstrong viewpoints, determined escapades against the wealthy suitors to which her father is trying to marry her off, and the hilarious scrapes she gets into all combine to create a book that will really make you laugh out loud! You'll also learn a lot of fascinating things about the way people lived back in the year 1290, as Catherine put it so well, "...in the village of Stonebridge in the shire of Lincoln, in the country of England, in the hands of God."

Cushman, Karen. (1995). The Midwife's Apprentice. HarperCollins Publishers, New York.

She's a poor girl, who doesn't even have a name, so people call her "Brat". She sleeps in staples and dung heaps to keep warm at night. She has no family, doesn't even know who gave her life. One morning a self serving midwife happens upon Brat in the dung heap and Brat's life slowly begins to change. She is allowed to work for the midwife and finally begin her journey to finding a place and an identity for herself in the world. She becomes Alyce, the midwife's apprentice.

IF YOU LIKED THE NOVELS OF KAREN CUSHMAN, YOU'LL PROBABLY LIKE THESE:

Armstrong, Jennifer. (1994). Ann of the Wild Rose Inn. Bantam Starfire.

Set in 1774, just prior to the Revolution, Ann MacKenzie is experiencing a turbulent time in her life, just as the colonies are. She waits on tables in her family's 100 year old inn, but it is very difficult to serve the British people and soldiers who are making life very hard for them as the tensions mount between the colonies and the mother country, England. To make matters worse, she falls in love with a man she meets on the Marblehead shore, and eventually finds out he is a British soldier. She is torn between her allegiance to the cause of the colonies and her feelings for the young man. What a dilemma! VOYA gave this book a good review. The reviewer commented that, "The book belongs in young adult collections in public libraries and schools. Readers will want to read the other books in the series as they appear."

Avi. (1990). The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. Orchard Books, New York, N.Y.

This is an excellent adventure story! Young, ladylike, prim and proper, fresh out of English boarding school, Miss Charlotte Doyle boards the Seahawk sailing ship for passage from Liverpool to America in the year 1832. She is to be reunited with her family once she arrives on American soil. Due to a confused set of circumstances, the other families that she is to be sailing with never arrive at the ship. She is the only female on board a sailing vessel setting sail with an all make crew, a dubious captain, and a very mysterious and dangerous set of circumstances just waiting to unfold. Miss Charlotte Doyle's life will never be the same!

Holland, Cecilia. (1988). The Lords of Vaumartin. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

Set in the 14th Century in Brittany and Paris, France, this is a novel about knights and castles and having the courage to defend your own birthright and claim what is rightfully yours. Fourteen-year-old Everard, the heir to the castle Vaumartin is sent off to war by his uncle, who schemes against Everard in order to win the castle inheritance. Reported as killed in the 1346 Massacre, Everard (who really is still alive), makes his plans to come back to Vaumartin and claim what is rightfully his.

Holland, Cecilia. (1992). Pacific Street. Houghton Mifflin, New York.

This is a novel of the gold rush days in old San Francisco. The time period is the 1850's. Thousands of people flocked to California to make their fortune on the gold fields, but the ones who became rich and powerful were the "...saloon and brothel keepers, merchants, lawyers, swindlers, politicians, even laborers...". These were the people that settled in the City. An intriguing look at the history of San Francisco and the variety of ethnic groups that helped settle her and make her the great city she is today.

Malterre, Elona. (1990). The Last Wolf of Ireland. Clarion Books, New York.

Set in the Irish countryside during the 1780's, the two protagonists are a young boy and girl who happen upon a den of wolf puppies in the forest, that have been left orphaned after their mother was killed. Wolves frighten the general population and are quickly done away with. This is the story of how the boy and girl care for and become attached to the pups, and of there determination to save the last wolf in Ireland. A touching story that shows the closeness that can develop between young people and animals in the wild. This story also draws the young reader's attention to the plight of animals that are considered endangered.

Temple, Frances. (1994). The Ramsay Scallop. Orchard Books, New York.

This is the story of the deep relationship that develops between a young girl and boy who are betrothed to each other. The tale takes place at the turn of the 13th century. Neither one wants to marry the other, but they are sent on a pilgrimage to Spain before the wedding takes place. Everything that happens to them on the way to Spain changes their lives and their feelings for one another. Kirkus Reviews gives this novel a good write-up. The review calls The Ramsay Scallop, "A throwback with a contemporary sensibility; an enchanting pilgrimage to self-realization, service, and love."

PICTURE BOOK

Brandenberg, Aliki. (1983). A Medieval Feast. Harper & Row. New York.

This is a lovely book! The illustrations by Aliki herself are colorful, vivid depictions of life on a medieval manor. From the pastoral blues and greens of the feudal village and countryside , to the bustling kitchen and stately hall of the manor where the abundant feast occurs, the reader is given an inside look to life as our friend Catherine saw and lived it. This is a picture book for all ages and would be a definite asset to any lesson plan on medieval times.

ELECTRONIC REFERENCES

Labyrinth - a reference site on Medieval Studies -

http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/labyrinth-home.html

This site is sponsored by Georgetown University. The information is college level, so advanced high school students may enjoy it also. Learn about various cultures during that time such as Celtic, and Italian. Research heraldry, arms, and chivalry. Learn about England during the years 1066 - 1500, take a virtual tour of the Tower of London, and much more. A very extensive site.

Medieval and Renaissance Wedding Information -

http://paul.spu.edu/%7Ekst/bib/bib.html

Learn just about all you ever wanted to know about a medieval wedding ceremony, reception, and feast. Information on vows to say at the ceremony, types of music from the Middle Ages, invitation designs, dress, and much more. Catherine's wedding must have been just like these.

Houghton Mifflin's Education Place -

http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/author/index.html

This site has a different author spotlighted each month. It's just full of wonderful information! The author is interviewed, children and teachers send in questions and the author answers them. Young readers give their own reviews on the author's books, and there are also suggestions regarding classroom connected activities with the authors novels, plus much more. A very worthwhile site to visit.

Return to top

Return to 262 homepage