Title: Catherine Called Birdy

Author: Karen Cushman

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age level: 6^th-8^th
Summary:  Catherine, or Birdy, is a young woman living in the Middle Ages that has just become of marriageable age, therefore her father decides to act. Through many attempts to foil her would be suitors, Catherine shows us the realities and some of the fantasies of life in the Middle Ages for a young woman. This book contains information about the food, dress, religious beliefs, manners, health, and medical practices of people during the Middle Ages.  This is a somewhat of a harder read so I would tend to use this for older age students.  I do believe the descriptions in the book to be accurate of the time period therefore I believe it would be best suited to deepen the understanding of people in the 13^th century for a lesson plan teaching about the Middle Ages.     


Newberry Honor 1995