I read an enchanting book (I don't use that word often and feel slightly foolish using it now, but it really was enchanting...yikes I used it again!) called Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village. It is a Newbery Medal book, and it's originality is amazing and while I don't think it would fall completely into the picture book genre since there is a lot of prose too, the illustrations and corresponding vignettes are great. Any social studies teacher going into a unit on medieval times must use this book to make history come alive. Also, as a reading teaching if you are going to read a novel set in medieval times, this would be a great, quick read to intro the novel with. I suppose this book is worthy of being the focus of a novel unit itself albeit a shorter one.
Again, I highly recommend this book. You will have spent your time wisely reading this one.
I have that book! Two years ago, when I was pregnant, my principal gave me this book and "The Invention of Hugo Cabret". She has a friend who has given her the Newberry Winner and Caldecott winner books for every year her child has been alive. :)
ReplyDeleteIt really is a fantastic book!
I just read this one too, since I'd seen in on the Newberry Honor list. I agree it would be a perfect component to a medieval unit of any kind. My 5th grade daughter has been enjoying it too, trying to do the monologues. (She is very dramatic these days.) It gives me the great idea of having students create a character that represents all the different roles in a society or time to make any time of history come alive.
ReplyDeleteWow this looks interesting. I haven't taught on medieval times, but if I ever do I am adding this to the book list. It is always nice to have picture books to include rather they be fiction or non-fiction for students to grab as an interesting read, I find that they are so much easier to read through than an article and great information can still be obtained.
ReplyDeleteI discovered this book in the library and it is checked out by 4 or 5 teachers every year. I bought a picture book of Chaucer's tales that is a little racy. maybe I'll read it again and post it on my blog.
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