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Newbery Winner YA Novel Catherine Called BirdyKaren Cushman's Award Winning Debut BookKaren Cushman's award winning (Newbery Honor) debut book, Catherine Called Birdy depicts the life of Catherine "Birdy" through her diary in the year 1290.
1290 England is like a painting of a non-existent place. It is not the England that survives today. Things may look familiar, people wear recognizable clothing, they might even speak a decipherable language, but their world is different than today’s. England, 1290The landscape of this book is something that screams 1290. The characters and situations contained in these pages represent the values, thoughts and beliefs of the represented time period, not today's. This time frame is rarely presented to such a young audience, especially in such an acurate manner, but the diary entries are a perfect way to convey these thoughts and ideas to young adult readers. Cushman presents the details of Birdy's life in an exotic way that appeals to a younger audience. Catherine Called Birdie 14-year-old Birdy is in training to become the perfect wife. She is learning to spin, sew and act demure but she would rather spend her time spitting, cursing and playing in the barn. Birdie is a spirited spitfire. Her mother wants nothing more than for her to behave as a lady should and her father's only concern is raffling her off to the highest bidder. Catherine would like nothing to do with either one of her parents' desires. She would rather be a crusader like her Uncle George. "Mayhap Uncle George will help me take up the cross and be a crusader" (35). She also briefly considers becoming a monk like her brother Edward. "That is when my life changed. I decided to run away to an abbey. This is how I will live" (27). Challenging the Structure of SocietyA non-conformist lady living in a medieval manor is challenging, to say the least. Catherine was born into a station of nobility and her life was determined for her from the day she came into the world. Catherine, however, cannot handle the constraints that life has thrust upon her and she spends her time coming up with schemes to win her freedom. The reader is drawn into the life of the manor as Birdy sneaks out, plays with villagers and causes trouble for potential suitors. Cushman's novel will draw in readers who relate to Birdy's want for independence. The Little Birdy Spreads Her WingsBirdy's comical attempts at thwarting her father's efforts to find her a wealthy suitor (including a hilarious accidental privy fire) as well as her other misadventures will take readers on a wild ride through the cold months of winter and through summer, all the way to the harvest. Birdy faces adversity, spreads her wings and ultimately ends up living a happily ever after. Through her diary pages, the reading audience is treated to a view of the life of young women living in the 13th Century. Other Articles on YA Literature By Jessica Gleason
The copyright of the article Newbery Winner YA Novel Catherine Called Birdy in Young Adult Fiction is owned by Jessica Gleason. Permission to republish Newbery Winner YA Novel Catherine Called Birdy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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