Catherine, Called Birdy (rpkg) (Trophy Newbery)
by Karen Cushman
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Book Summary Information
Author: Karen CushmanBrand: Harper Collins Publishers
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1995-03-31
ISBN: 0064405842
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: HarperCollins
Book Reviews of Catherine, Called Birdy (rpkg) (Trophy Newbery)
Book Review: What a great book!
Summary: 5 Stars
Catherine Called Birdy In an interview, Author, Karen Cushman said the following: "I grew tired of hearing about kings, princes, generals, and presidents. I wanted to know what life was like for ordinary young people in other times." She did that in her book called Catherine Called Birdy. At last, an author has finally written about a younger generation from a long time ago; this is a book written about kids and for kids. Moreover, this book won the prestigious Newbery Award for Literature because of its originality, humor, romance, and its application towards audiences of all ages. I was astonished by how comical the book was. I personally enjoyed the book thoroughly. The characterization in this novel is impressive because the people sound like young people in the 1200's. Catherine, called Birdy, is a young girl who is the daughter of a manor keeper in 13th century England. She is a saucy, young 14-year-old girl who hates her father; also, Catherine bitterly hates her own life. She does not have good self-esteem and, in fact, she thinks of herself quite poorly. She describes herself as unlady-like, ugly, bitter, and stubborn. She hates her father because he is an embittered and nasty man: he is not a good role model for his daughter. He is mean to all the people of the manor. He is also quite mean to her. This main character, Catherine, is faced with quite a dilemma. She is trying to decide which dirty, greedy, rich man to marry throughout the book. In fact, Cat's greedy father insists on her marrying a man who is rich; he believes this will give him more opportunity if she marries a wealthy man. Another main character is called Perkin. Perkin is a poor boy who tends the goats, and Catherine really likes him, but only as a friend. He is one of Catherine's only companions. He also likes her as a good friend. He could be described as gentlemanly and full of integrity. Morwenna is also a big part of Catherine's life. She used to be like her mother, but now that Catherine is grown up, she considers herself more as Catherine's nurse. Basically, the book progresses as Catherine meets more and more men. Finally, after a while, the decision is made that Catherine would marry a fellow who she really did not like; he is called Shaggy Beard. This book is definitely a winner. It teaches many life lessons. For example, one such lesson is to treasure your freedom. It teaches the reader this by making him/her feel grateful that he/she is not in poor Catherine's position. The book also gives us an idea of what life was like for a normal girl back in those times as well as what the people were like in those olden times. One might be astonished by how primitive they and their culture were, for instance, the way the men treated the women and the crude language the people used. Another aspect of the book, which is worth making note of, is the fact that the author wrote the book as each day progressed in Catherine's diary. This gives the entire book a more personal feeling as the reader is submerged into Birdy's life through her own eyes. What a great book! Too bad these were just fictional characters. But then again, maybe they were actually real!
Summary of Catherine, Called Birdy (rpkg) (Trophy Newbery)
Catherine feels trapped. Her father is determined to marry her off to arich man--any rich man, no matter how awful.
But by wit, trickery, and luck, Catherine manages to send several would-be husbands packing. Then a shaggy-bearded suitor from the north comes to call--by far the oldest, ugliest, most revolting suitor of them all.
Unfortunately, he is also the richest.
Can a sharp-tongued, high-spirited, clever young maiden with a mind of her own actually lose the battle against an ill-mannered, piglike lord and an unimaginative, greedy toad of a father?
Deus! Not if Catherine has anything to say about it!
Catherine feels trapped. Her father is determined to marry her off to a rich man--any rich man, no mater how awful.
But by wit, trickery, and luck, Catherine manages to send several would-be husbands packing. Then a shaggy-bearded suitor from the north comes to call--by far the oldest, ugliest, most revolting suitor of them all.
Unfortunately, he is also the richest.
Can a sharp-tongued, high-spirited, clever young maiden with a mind of her own actualy lose the battle against an ill-mannared, piglike lord and an unimaginative, greedy toad of a father?
Deus! Not if Catherine has anything to say about it!
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