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    Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village
    Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village
    Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village
    Audiobook1 hour

    Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village

    Written by Laura Amy Schlitz

    Narrated by Christina Moore, Firdous Bamji, Katherine Kellgren and

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Laura Amy Schlitz wrote the Newbery Medal winner Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! for the students at the school where she is a librarian. The 22 monologues introduce readers to everyone in a medieval village, from the town half-wit, to Nelly the Sniggler, to the Lord's daughter.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJun 20, 2008
    ISBN9781436133364
    Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village
    Author

    Laura Amy Schlitz

    Laura Amy Schlitz is a librarian and storyteller in Baltimore County, USA. She has worked as a costumer, actress and playwright, and her plays for young people have been produced in theatres all over the county. She has been awarded the Newbery Medal and numerous other literary awards. She is a New York Times bestselling author.

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    Reviews for Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!

    4/5

    346 ratings45 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I didn't know what to expect from Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village since it is a children's book. I knew from the cover art that it wasn't necessarily a sweet little small child's fairy tale type of book, but just what was it?I am completely taken with the beauty of this publication, the verbal artistry of the author, Laura Amy Schlitz, and the way the various "voices" from the village speak about themselves, their lives, and the times in which they live. The side notes help clarify terms or words so the reader can get a fuller comprehension of what they are talking about in each voicing.Oh! I had such fun reading each of these character's stories told in the first person as monologues or two-part stories. This was simply something I wish I had had the opportunity to do when my children were growing up. (Oh, where in the world was this book?) And then after some of the villagers told their tale, there would be a page or two of easy-to-understand history of that particular part of Medieval life. For example: Across a stream a Jew and a Christian merchant's daughter gaze at each other. Their emotions emanating from fear and hatred of Christians toward Jews at the time were overcome by a few moments of light, youthful playfulness - stone skipping over the water. Following this was the history of Jewish persecution during the period. A touching scene and a touching part of history.Another bit of educational fun was the glimpse into the son of the Knight. His current plight and station in life after his father, the Knight, had used all his money and lands to outfit himself to participate in the Crusades. Following this was an interesting and realistic history of the Crusades.I love the illustrations of Robert Byrd and they seem to really fit the Medieval times harking back to old illustrations and art that have survived the centuries. The two-page spread at the beginning shows the entire village with the stream meandering through it. Of note is every character in Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! is featured (name is by their figure). The cover is filled with colorful villagers mingling about. It is easy to see why the book has been awarded the the Gold John Newbery Medal. Entertainment, education, and pure enjoyment pervade the book from beginning to end.DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy by Candlewick Press to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own, alone. I was not compensated for this review.
    • 5/5
      Surprisingly good poetry style book
    • 4/5
      Young voices from the medieval era are represented in this collection of monologues. The characters range from the high- to low-born, such as the lord's daughter, the blacksmith's son, and the miller's son. The entries are interspersed with background writeups on topics of that era, including falconry, treatment of the Jews and the Crusades. Footnotes define uncommon terms such as villein. This is equally good as an enlightening introduction to the medieval period or for use as supplementary reading. (Audiobook note: The actors' voices bring this era alive accompanied by medieval music interludes.)
    • 2/5
      A collection of monologues/soliloquies written to be performed by middle grade students. Each monologue tells the tale of an individual child from the middle ages. Footnotes are presented in sidebars and a few non-fiction factual pieces explain various medieval customs and history. The book is gorgeously illustrated with medieval-type illustrations in ink and watercolour. The design of the book is also very visually pleasing with coloured ribbon sidebars on every page.While I found this book very pretty, the text did nothing for me. The majority of the monologues are written in verse (some even rhyming) which was very tedious to read and frankly, boring. I can't imagine watching a play that consists of a bunch of monologues to be very entertaining either. I enjoy both historical fiction and books that take place in the middle ages but this book was just not my thing.
    • 5/5
      This collection of monologues (and a couple of dialogues) introduces readers to medieval life, from the son of a knight, to the daughter of a villein who tends his hounds. It's a fantastic educational tool, meant to be used in a classroom setting. I can see why it won the Newbery when it first came out -- the writing is terrific, and the last line of the last monologue is just perfection. I'd love to direct a group of children presenting this. Recommended to those who have an interest in the medieval, particularly if they enjoy books like The Inquisitor's Tale or The Midwife's Apprentice.
    • 3/5
      This upper-elementary to middle-grade book, a mix of poetry and prose, is in the vein of "Canterbury Tales." I can't picture one kid out of a thousand picking this up on their own to read for pleasure. If the intended audience reads it at all, it will be because a teacher assigned it. A variety of children from a medieval village each tell a brief tale. A few tales are related, but most are solitary. There are a handful of sections between tales that provide some historical background for the story preceding it.I found it historically interesting, but the tales were not all equally gripping.
    • 1/5
      This book is a collection of monologues (and a few dialogues) written by a librarian for fifth grade students to perform and learn about life in a medieval village. It was the winner of the 2008 Newbery award. Each monologue is told from the point of view of a different child in the village, mostly written in verse.

      I haven't read any of the other Newbery winners written in verse yet, but I hope they are better than this. If something is written in verse, it has to be done well or it drives me crazy. If there is rhythm or rhyme, it needs to be consistent. If there is no rhythm or rhyme, I feel there needs to be a reason for the stanzas to be formatted as they are. The metrical structure, rhyme, and formatting of this book were so awkward, it was hard to appreciate anything else about the book. Since there was rarely rhyme or rhythm in these verses, it would have made more sense to have them all in prose.
    • 4/5
      Brings some of the realities of English medieval existence to life in an amusing pastich of monologues. The short biographies intertwine themselves, and the reader's experience of the village is enhanced. Several excellent voices contribute to the audio version.
    • 2/5
      This book has a very specific niche. I can see it being useful in a middle school class studying medieval times and needing a presentation project. The monologues provided are historically accurate, but the content does not lend itself to younger (elementary) audiences. I do like that the monologues of the members of this imaginary village allude to the other characters in the book. However, I did not enjoy reading it overall. Medieval times were hard times.
    • 5/5
      What do you do if every child wants to have a starring role in the school play? If you are Laura Schlitz, you write nineteen monologues and two dialogues set in a medieval village, so that everyone gets a strong character to develop. The series of miniature plays is historically accurate and effective read silently or aloud. The voices of the characters, aged eleven to fifteen, come through clearly, as does the time period, without overly ornate language. Byrd’s manuscript-like illustrations add to the historical feel, while helpful side notes explain words and concepts that readers may be unfamiliar with. Short historical notes (one to two pages) are interspersed with the plays and give readers further information about topics within the plays, such as the three-field crop rotation system and falconry. A valuable addition to school and public libraries, stronger readers might want to read the entire book, while less able readers could be given single monologues to develop. Class plays could be performed from the book, but students might also write their own medieval monologue, or continue the story of a character from the book. A strong bibliography is given at the end of the book, though some sources may be better for teachers than for students. Strongly recommended.
    • 3/5
      What an odd assortment of really great ideas, a whole curriculum really, on the medieval days, combined with a drama that a whole class can perform, and some great illustrations. The only thing marring this from being perfect is the writing which tries to be poetry and fails.
    • 5/5
      I realized recently that I've gotten out of touch with children's books in recent years, so I decided my new project would be reading the Newbery Medal and Honor Books in reverse order, starting with this year's winners. After just the first book, I knew this had been a good idea.

      The author teaches in what sounds like a really neat school, where the kids were studying the Middle Ages. She wrote these dramatic monologues (a few are parallel monologues for two actors) featuring the young inhabitants of a medieval village, so that each child could be the star of a playlet. The book also includes sidenotes and occasional two-page essays on aspects of medieval life. Schlitz doesn't sugarcoat some of the more repellent features of the Middle Ages, but her characters have a universality that would help young readers and actors see what they and the medieval young people have in common. This was a really good choice for the medal, and different when compared to the usual novel or occasional non-fiction title. Although, in theory, illustrations are not considered as part of the judging process (there's the Caldecott Medal for that), Robert Byrd's illustrations are an integral part of this book and have a lovely medieval feel to them. I would recommend this for teachers, home-schoolers, and anyone old or young who's interested in the period.
    • 3/5
      I'll probably get comments from strangers on this, demanding I explain myself.

      I don't think this should have gotten the Newbery medal.
      I know I've ranted about the Newbery committee in the past, how they pick feel-good books with more emotional growth than plot development. And I know that the Newbery medal is for excellence in writing in children's books, not for engrossing material that kids will eat up with spoons. But they consistently choose books with more adult appeal than kid-appeal, books that well-meaning adults praise as "brilliant" or "insightful" while the intended audience (kids) is bored silly, and this is another of those books.

      It's a good book, well-researched and presented in an engaging manner. The monologues and dialogues are a good way to introduce kids to medieval history. This isn't a book kids are going to stumble on and pick up as a pleasure read. It practically has "SCHOOL" written all over it. I think it's an excellent book to have in a school curriculum, and when the kids encounter it in history class, they'll really enjoy it. It is fairly dynamic, not the usual boring presentation of facts.

      The writing is mostly okay--inconsistencies in style can be chalked up to different characters having different voices, but it's still jarring to have five or six voices in a row be in virtually indistinguishable verse, then switch to prose for one, then to rhyming verse. The sections in verse are a little clumsy; a stanza or two will be in a strict, regular iambic quadrameter, and then there's a line that's too short or too long, or stressed or unstressed in all the wrong places. It wouldn't trip the ear if not for the regularity of the rhythm preceding it.

      Overall impressions: great book for school unit on medieval history. Excellent choice for facilitating class discussions, or for sparking an interest in further research in motivated students. Few kids will pick this up on their own, and for the ones that do, the uneven writing will discourage several from finishing.

      3.5 stars, if I could.
    • 4/5
      Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a child in medieval England? Using short, poetic plays written for one and two voices, Schlitz captures the challenges, heartaches and roles of 13th century children. Many of the plays are interconnected, so that, for example, the perspective of Piers, the glassblower's apprentice is contrasted with those of Mariot and Maud, the glassblower's daughters, one of whom is expected to marry the apprentice to keep the business in the family. Schlitz frequently interjects double-page spreads of background information to add context to the plays. Byrd's pen-and-ink illustrations mimic illuminated manuscripts and add to the historical context. This book is most effective when read aloud, and provides an engaging window into medieval life.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely wonderful tween book covering the life and times of villagers in the Middle Ages. A delightful, interesting, intriguing read.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed how this books brings life to a time some kids might find hard to relate to.
    • 3/5
      I liked the illustrations and the intermediary commentary much more than most of the 17 monologue/dialogues. I can see the book's usefulness in some classroom situations, but unless the study is really of the medieval period, this is not my first choice of a read for the age group it's purportedly written to use.
    • 4/5
      We really really enjoyed this book. It was a fun and interesting look at everyday life in a Medieval Village. And it wasn't a cast of the usual characters, we heard from the the sniggler, the beggar and the runaway as well as from the plowboy and the merchant's daughter. Wonderfully done and extremely informative. A great "living book."
    • 5/5
      Schlitz is a school librarian. When her students were studying Medieval times, she wrote this series of monologues to help them perform and understand the lives of children in a Medieval English village. Very nicely done, though with a few clunky spots where the rhythm or rhyme doesn’t quite click. Kids could really get into these characters as a way of understanding that time period. A teacher or parent could use this book as a centerpiece to a larger unit, studying the whole era through the eyes of the characters in the book. Great marginalia and period-appropriate illustrations, as well. (pannarrens)
    • 5/5
      In the style of Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales”, Schlitz brings to life in monologue form (and two dialogues) the humdrum and oftentimes-hazardous occupations and activities of village children and adolescents in Medieval England. Life is dirty and poverty is common to almost everyone living off of the Lord’s land. For example, Mariot and Maud are the glassblower’s daughters who find that one of them must marry the glassblower’s apprentice since he will inherit the business. While Maud thinks poorly of him: “The way that he scratches, the way that he peers at what he’s scratched up-“ and refuses to consider marriage, Mariot wonders, “What if I befriended him? Mended his tunic and helped him to tend to the burns on his finger, his bedbugs and fleas?” Many terms common to the era are explained in notes on a ribbon of muted color along the side margins. Small framed ink and watercolor drawings by Byrd define each character capturing medieval art and style while larger illustrations are included on pages giving additional background history. History and drama teachers will adore this Newberry winner and will assign students to act out the characters. However, students might not share their enthusiasm. A large bibliography is included. Highly recommended. Grades 6-9.
    • 5/5
      In this unique collection of plays written for children, each character illustrates a different type of person in a Medieval village and each has a distinct voice, which shows in the language. Historical notes accompany each short play and help the reader to understand the context of the play. Included at the end is a comprehensive and helpful bibliography which will lead Medieval enthusiasts to other resources on the topic.
    • 5/5
      Personal Response:I feel that this is an excellent book for learning about a whole range of people in the middle ages. It also is a great teaching tool for the classroom. It allows children to participate actively in learning by acting out the various characters. This book is written using medieval vocabulary with footnotes to explain the references. It is very educational and also provides background segments aside from the verse.Curriculum Connections:Identify the different types of poetry and verse used. Perform Have each student further research a person and what their lives might be like as they become an adult.
    • 5/5
      This was a great book. It has a map in the beginning where all of the characters are in the story. Each page or 2 has a monologue from a different character in a different position in a medieval village. Fantastic.
    • 5/5
      Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! is a compilation of stories about children in the middle ages. Each child has some type of profession (or the child of) and they tell a story or a story is told about their lives. The story is either written in poem or short story form and are all fairly easy to read. The author does use terms from the time period, but if the term isn't something a modern child would understand, there is a footnote (or sidenote) explaining the term in ways a modern child can understand. Interspersed between the stories are non-fiction pieces that help to explain an aspect of life in an English village in 1255. The book would be a good source for an elementary or middle school teacher who had to teach about Medieval life and the different social classes. All the stories/poems are short and interesting as are the historical background sections. The illustrator tried to make his art style similar to wood carvings and painting from the time period, but some modern techniques are in there too. The pictures help to show some of the aspects of life visually. I would recommend this for ages 9 and up.
    • 4/5
      One thing I've enjoyed about reading Newberry Medal winners is the variety of the selections. This book of monologues, written to be performed by children, is an engaging look at life in the Middle Ages. Taken together they give the reader a glimpse of life in a world completely different from modern United States. There's a fair dose of humor, which contrasts nicely with the realities of lice and fleas, hunger and oppression.
    • 5/5
      This year’s Newbery winner. Loved it. The book was written in the form of short monologues, with characters representing many of the traditional people of medieval times. The author uses the sidebars to explain here and there words and expressions that children might not know. She also interjects a few pages of informational text to explain some of the key features of the times.Loved it!
    • 5/5
      Really neat format. Small plays, each about a different part of medieval life. Listened to the audio, which was really like hearing a performance. Informative and entertaining for anyone who enjoys the medieval time period.
    • 5/5
      This is an amazing book. It is a collection of one act plays that a librarian wrote her students at her school. The plays are focused around a medieval theme and each play highlights a variety of people that would have been found living in a medieval village. On the initial page for each character, there is a short vocabulary list that may enhance a reader's understanding. As you read through the creative monologues you can't help but be distracted by the illustrations and page layout. Each page has a ribbon of color, that gives the page edges an appearance of a framed stage. The drawings are colored, but look like simple colored sketches. The simplicity almost mimics the style of art from the medieval period. The colors are rich and vivid. The color tones almost remind me of the richness in altar pieces. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! May or may not be something any teacher could put on, but the book is definitely a work of art!
    • 5/5
      Maidens, monks, and millers’ sons — in these pages, readers will meet them all. There’s Hugo, the lord’s nephew, forced to prove his manhood by hunting a wild boar; sharp-tongued Nelly, who supports her family by selling live eels; and the peasant’s daughter, Mogg, who gets a clever lesson in how to save a cow from a greedy landlord. There’s also mud-slinging Barbary (and her noble victim); Jack, the compassionate half-wit; Alice, the singing shepherdess; and many more. With a deep appreciation for the period and a grand affection for both characters and audience, Laura Amy Schlitz creates twenty-two riveting portraits and linguistic gems equally suited to silent reading or performance. Illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings by Robert Byrd — inspired by the Munich-Nuremberg manuscript, an illuminated poem from thirteenth-century Germany — this witty, historically accurate, and utterly human collection forms an exquisite bridge to the people and places of medieval England. From Goodreads
    • 5/5
      This is a collection of monologues (and a handful of dialogues) of different characters in a medieval village. Some of them know each other, some speak poetically and others in prose, but all give you a multifaceted look at life in the 13th century. Beginning with the lord's nephew and ending with a beggar, each monologue is individual, gives a slightly different perspective, and makes each character feel real and likable.This was a quick read that I enjoyed pretty well. It was different, with its mix of nonfiction notes and made-up characters. Some historical notes are interspersed, giving the book a little bit of a teacherly feel. I can see why the book won a Newbery, though I think that it might get more notice from adults than kids as a possible "teaching tool."