Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by author
Winner, 2008 Newbery Award
Quick Summary
Twenty-two monologues feature different young characters in a medieval village.
Favorite Quote
I bent my head,
and saw, lying on the anvil,
a miracle:
that sprig of hawthorn—
from his cloak, on the anvil.
—Taggot, The Blacksmith's Daughter
About the Author
Laura Amy Schlitz is a librarian, storyteller, and playwright. She wrote the pieces in the book for a group of fifth grade students at the Park School in Baltimore where she works. As far as I can tell, the author does not have an official webiste, but there are several interviews with her online including one in School Library Journal (June 23, 2015).
My Project
I created a chalkboard-themed piece to pay tribute to the author/educator who recognized that although many children want to be a star in a school play, most plays are designed for one or two starring roles and a bunch of tiny parts (think of the kid starring as a "tree" or "spinach.") I used a paint pen to write some of the words from the book, as I do think this book has more potential to tie into school assignments such as vocabulary or spelling quizzes than other award winners. I added a couple of ribbon roses to symbolize the stage aspect of this book and that popular image of a leading actress or actor receiving bouquets of red roses on opening night.
Final Thoughts
I'll admit that when I saw this title on the list I groaned. Plays can be very tedious to read and the fact that this book was inspired by a school subject didn't exactly excite me. I decided that for this book I'd get both the audio and printed version and that turned out to be a good decision. You can listen to the audio version in a little more than an hour. The monologues are lively and short, packed with good (and sometimes surprising) details. The audio also has music which is a nice touch.
This project proved a bit challenging in that this was the first book I read so far this year that had full color illustrations. I didn't want to compete with those! While I think this finished piece does have a certain handmade charm, I would have loved to been able to write clearly with much small lettering. Apparently the paint pen manufacturers and I have very different ideas on what constitutes a "fine tip" pen.
Your Turn
Readers: If you read this book, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments.
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