The Midwife's Apprentice

 Historical Fiction Review

Bibliography:

Cushman, K. (1995). The midwife's apprentice. Harper Trophy.

ISBN 006440630X

Plot Summary:

Brat has never known another name, a family, or a place to call home. Her life is lonely, traveling from place to place, looking for scraps to eat, and sleeping anywhere that is warm. One cold morning, Brat is discovered sleeping in a dung heap by Jane, the village midwife. She begs Jane for food, and when Jane tells her people that don't work don't eat, Brat offers to work. Jane renames the young girl Dung Beetle, usually just Beetle, and she begins her work as a midwife's apprentice. Though not as lonely and hard as her time before, her life with Jane the midwife is not easy. Jane is hard and ill-tempered. Even so, Beetle begins to make a life for herself in the village, adopting a cat and making friends with a village boy. She even decides to give herself a proper name—Alyce.  As she watches Jane work, she learns more about midwifery, too. But when she fails at something important, Alyce runs away. She continually tells herself, "I am nothing, have nothing, belong nowhere." Can she find her place in the world? Is she Brat once again with nothing and no one? Is she Beetle, who sleeps where she can and begs scraps from whomever she can? Or is she Alyce, the midwife's apprentice? 

Critical Analysis:

The Midwife's Apprentice is a good middle school read. The setting, while never explicitly stated in the story, is medieval England. From descriptions of people and places in and near the village, a reader can understand this if they have some background knowledge. The author's note in the back of the book gives some background on midwifery in medieval times and can give the reader a better idea of the setting as well. The chapters of the story are short and can be easily accessible for less experienced readers. While Alyce's experience is not common for today's early teens, her feelings of inadequacy and desire to belong are definitely experiences of young people today.  

Review Excerpts:

"A truly delightful introduction to a world seldom seen in children's literature." -School Library Journal, starred review

"A fascinating view of a far distant time." -Horn Book, starred review

Connections:

This book would be an excellent read-aloud to go along with a history or social studies unit covering medieval England. It would also be a good segue into a discussion of women's roles throughout history. In a science class, it could be used to open a discussion about the differences in medieval vs modern medicine practices. 

Awards

1996 Newbery Award winner

1996 American Library Association "Notable Children's Book" and Best Book for Young Adults

Rules

 

Contemporary Realistic Fiction Review

Bibliography:

Lord, C. (2013). Rules. Scholastic Inc..

ISBN 9780439443838

Plot Summary:

"No toys in the fish tank. Chew with your mouth closed. If someone says 'hi,' you say 'hi' back. Sometimes people laugh when they like you. But sometimes they laugh to hurt you." Twelve-year-old Catherine has a list of rules for her younger brother David, who has autism, to better navigate the world - and keep him from embarrassing her. She loves her brother but wishes he were a bit more "normal." During the summer, Catherine develops a friendship with a boy named Jason, who uses word cards to communicate. She also tries to build a friendship with her new neighbor Kristi, but is worried about what she will think of David and her new friend Jason. Catherine learns about honesty and friendship, and questions her own views of what "normal" really means.

Critical Analysis:

This realistic fiction book is an excellent read for middle school students. The main character, Catherine, is very relatable as she navigates friendships and family and tries to decide the right things to do. Chapters are cleverly titled with different "rules" that fit with each part of the story. Different font types indicate the difference in the narrative, Catherine's written rules, and Jason's communication word cards. The theme is one of growth and hope as Catherine goes through her summer. 

Review Excerpts:

"A heartwarming first novel." -Booklist

"A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter." -School Library Journal

"A rewarding story that may well inspire readers to think about others' points of view." -Publishers Weekly

Connections:

Middle school students could create their own "rules to live by," like Catherine creates for David in the story. There could be a discussion of unwritten rules, those rules that people "just know," and see which rules students believe are unwritten. Students could create illustrated word cards, like Jason's communication cards.

Awards

2007 Newbery Honor book

2007 Schneider Family Book Award (middle school)