Cathreine Called Birdy, Karen Cushman

Believe it or not, I really didn't like Catherine Called Birdy. It is an unrealistic and unsatisfying portrayal of medieval life. It centers around a 14-year old girl who is dissatisfied with her life on a medieval farm. She is free-spirited and wishes to be free from the tedium of being a gentle lady. This is a good premise, but it is not well executed. Instead of insightful observations about medieval life, the protagonist makes fart jokes and complains non-stop about the world in a way unrealistic of the period. The whole tone of the book does not sound like it was written by a girl in the middle ages, but by modern adult trying to sound like a 14 year old. In addition, the book's plot goes almost nowhere.
When I read the back of the book, it sounded like it would be great, and I thought the idea was great. However, the interior is so disappointing that I almost didn't finish it, in fact, I stopped it multiple times. I would like to see this book rewritten by this author or a different author, perhaps one who would try a little harder, but for now, I would not recommend this book other than to study and see what went wrong.

-Chris, 8th grade, CSCL