Catherine, Called Birdie, written by Karen Cushman provides an excellent example of historical writing describing the life of a young girl living during the Medieval Ages. It spans one year of her life yet covers her family tree and thoroughly provides insight into the many aspects of daily life at that time. It could be utilized for many age groups and reading levels. Although it is written by a girl, the life and expectations of boys during the same time period are covered in detail. I am using the book for a literary reading, a means to address the diary as a form of writing and in the area of history for the purpose to study the time span of the Middle Ages. It would be an interesting book to use for literary circles in the classroom.

I had to read this book for school, and it was boring and had absolutely no plot. It was SUPPOSED to be about a girl who's father kept trying to set her up with rich people and she was supposed to do HILARIOUS pranks to them. That happened for about 5 pages scattered throughout the book. The rest had nothing to do with anything, it was pretty much words typed up on paper. It wasn't funny. it wasn't adventurous. It wasn't anything but boring.

I am a music teacher and am doing a medieval/renaissance program at the library. I made this required reading for my students because it really helps them see what it would have been like to grow up a young woman in medieval times. It keeps your attention because it's rather short and has all the gross stuff in it like pig stomach with raisins, stinky privies, and the like. You know, stuff that intrigues middle schoolers. They just need help with the vocabulary because it use colloquialisms that are not understood in our modern language. A great read even for adults!

Title: Catherine, Called Birdy
Publisher: Harper Trophy
Author: Karen Cushman
Date: 1994
Reading Level: 7th grade
Number of Pages: 224
Genre: Historical Fiction

Plot Synopsis: Catherine (Birdy) is living in Medieval England with her parents in the late 1200s. This book is written through the eyes of Catherine in the form of a journal, who starts writing when she is 14 and finishes when she is 15. She is part of a middle class family: her father is a knight and her mother is a noblewoman, and they are actively trying to find the wealthiest groom for Catherine. Catherine feels like she is being auctioned off, and works hard to repulse each suitor so that no one will stay. Catherine describes in detail many of the things she doesn't like about being a `lady' in the late 1200s, such as sewing, caring for the sick and making soap. She states that she would rather live the life of a knight, as they are free to make their own choices and aren't tied down by a husband.
Catherine is eventually matched with a much older man, whom she calls Shaggy Beard. Right before the marriage, Catherine runs away to her aunt's house. She returns home shortly thereafter, sadly accepting her fate. When she gets home she learns that Shaggy Beard has died and she will instead marry his much younger son, who has inherited all of his father's wealth. Shaggy Beard's son actually enjoys reading and learning, and Catherine ends her journal much happier about her prospects in this marriage.

Negative Aspects of the book: Karen Cushman worked to make this book as historically accurate as possible. Because of this, she is rather crude when describing bodily functions. Catherine tells a story about a boy who farts in front of the king, describes urination in public, and talks of her brother "rolling around in the hay." I would be careful to only give this to a class of students who are mature enough to realize that she writes like this to be historically accurate, not to be gross.

My Personal Appraisal: A wonderful book for middle school girls AND boys alike! Catherine is a strong woman who rebels against the preferred path for women at that time. She shows her reader that it is okay to be different from others, and ultimately ends up happy in her own way. I also really like the format of this book. Because it is in a journal format, it is easier to read and will attract even those students who are reluctant readers. Having students keep a journal of their own would be a great activity to go along with this book. A journal would make them familiar with the format of the book, and maybe introduce students to the value of keeping a journal of their own.

Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman is about a girl named Catherine in the Middle Ages. She is now old enough to be married off, and her father is persistent, bringing many suitors to meet her. Catherine has managed to get rid of all of them, until "Shaggy Beard" comes along. He's old, obnoxious and ugly (according to Catherine), and he's not at all swayed by her attempts to get rid of him. Catherine never really wants to get married, especially not to this man. With the marriage crawling closer and closer, Catherine has to put out her best and avoid the marriage before it's too late.

This is a great read for anyone looking for a short, but interesting book to read. The characters are very original, and Catherine's views on the world are very different from a lot of girls her age and from her time. Karen Cushman does a great job of describing things through Catherine's eyes. Catherine is sometimes really critical of people and it's funny to see how she describes these people. Readers can really connect with Catherine and her world. They will get to the thirtieth page, and won't put the book down from there!