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Hello, gentle readers,
Today’s post is the third installment in my Summer Slide series. If you are just joining me for this series, you might be wondering what the summer slide is.
It isn’t a piece of equipment along with the summer swing and summer jungle gym at your neighborhood park.
The summer slide is the two+ months of academic knowledge lost by school age children during summer vacation. [source] The greatest losses are in the area of mathematical computation among all students and in math and reading among children living in low-income households. [source]
Having worked all of my career in schools where the students come from low socio-economic homes, the summer slide was huge. Not only did my student do little reading, writing or math over the summer, but they also spoke very little English. So when they returned to school in August, it was like starting all over again from square one or, at the very least, square two.
The book I am sharing today is probably best suited to upper elementary and middle school children. It received critical acclaim in the mid 1990’s.
Here is a list of some recognition for The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman.
Newbery Medal
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Notable Book for Children
Booklist Editors’ Choice
Horn Book Fanfare Selection
School Library Journal, Best Books of the Year
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Hungry Mind Review Book of Distinction
Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts
Not Just For Children Anymore! Selection (CBC)
Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Awards
Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Readers Choice Award Short List
Parents’ Choice Gold Award
American Bookseller “Pick of the Lists”
New York Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
ABC Children’s Booksellers Choice Award
NYPL Books for the Teen Age List
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The Midwife’s Apprenticeby Karen Cushman was one of the first children’s chapter books/novels I read when I became an elementary school librarian. It received the American Library Association’s Newbery Award in 1996. And has been a book whose story has stayed with me for these twenty years since I first read it. I became reacquainted with The Midwife’s Apprentice during one of my high school librarian substitute assignments. Seeing it on the shelves of El Paso High library brought a smile to my face. At the time, I was reading and enjoying The Secrets of Midwives by Sally Hepworth, adult fiction. I am certain that is why I sought to become reacquainted with my old friend, The Midwife’s Apprentice.
The main character is a little girl with no name other than Brat as she is called by those in the medieval English village where she lives without a family or home to call her own. Despite those short comings, Brat is a survivor. As a matter of her survival, she becomes linked up with Jane the village midwife, as a kind of helper. Through this opportunity, Brat begins to discover her own self-worth, her own abilities. Early in the story, she is nicknamed Beetle by the midwife because the girl sleeps beside a pile of dung like the insect. As Brat or Beetle begins to come into her own, she assumes the name Alyce. She becomes Jane’s unofficial apprentice and learns through her apprenticeship, that even she possesses valuable, marketable skills. But the jealous Jane doesn’t relish how quickly and how adeptly Alyce picks up the tricks of her trade. Alyce has become a threat to Jane’s livelihood and position in the community.
As the story progresses, Alyce transitions from a little street urchin into a plucky young woman who fashions a home, family and position for herself. But not without incident; a problematic delivery that Alyce attempts alone when Jane is on call elsewhere, threatens everything the young girl has worked hard to achieve. Rather than face the villagers’ judgement and certain ridicule, she runs away to another nearby town. It is there that she learns to read and write and dare create, for herself, the kind of life she had only dreamed of having.
Because of the descriptions of childbirth, a narrowly averted rape of Brat by some of the village boys, and the suggestion of an affair between the midwife and the town’s very married baker, Midwife’s Apprentice is appropriate for older elementary or middle school readers in the 10 – 12 year age range, grades 5 – 7. The book is a slim 144 pages making it manageable for reluctant high school readers as well. The Accelerated Reader book level is sixth grade and the book is worth 3.0 AR points.
You can listen to a brief podcast excerpt from the book here.
And use the discussion guide available below.
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There is also a range of study tools including discussion questions, a vocabulary list and even a Midwife’s Apprentice Jeopardy game available for the book here. The book can be purchased here through Amazon.com. Or check it out at your neighborhood public library.
I remember using a kind of story mapping software with my students that helped them organize and summarize their thoughts on stories we read together. In searching for information to share with you, I found this great character web, available here, for Alyce. And then stumbled upon interactive Story Mapping activities on ReadWriteThink. You might use them with your summer readers.
If you share this or any of the other titles we are reviewing in the Summer Slide series, please let me know. And would like to invite you to share a review of YOUR favorite children’s chapter book. Just leave me a comment below. And please stay-tuned for additional reviews in the very near future.
Hugs and kisses,
Shaunacey
love that you make these recommendations! and I will have to remember the summer slide when Annabelle starts school
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you! I am going to recommend some easy chapter books in my next post for the series. They will be great ones for Annabelle to start off with once she is reading pretty well on her own. Or for you guys to read together. She can read all of the THEs, ANDs, ITs, sight words, and you can fill in.
Katie
Love these Laslie!!! I think I read this one! I might have to reread it!! And I’ll still do my Wonder review! Just let me know when works for you!! 🙂
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Hey Katie, I emailed you. I was thinking maybe if you could write up your review before the end of July, that would be great. Thank you so much. This book and Catherine, Called Birdy by Cushman are very good. Might have to review Catherine, too!
Karen Cushman
Thanks, Leslie, for the nice review. I’m happy to see Alyce still has her fans 20 years later.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Oh, my gravy!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to read the post about our mutual friend Alyce and for leaving me a comment ta-boot! I hope to review Catherine, Called Birdie before the summer is out. Hope maybe I can talk you into stopping by to read that review, too!! Thank you for writing fabulous, rich, historical fiction about strong girls!