Catherine, Called Birdy, by Karen Cushman

Catherine’s mother expects her to sit with a circle of ladies day after day mending linen and gossiping. Catherine’s mean-spirited father can’t wait to send her off with a proper young man. But Catherine has no interest in the things which proper young ladies in the thirteenth century are expected to do. She would much rather put a toad in her uncle’s bed, run in the mud, or pretend that she has the worst table manners ever during visits by potential suitors. Will Catherine be forced into an arranged marriage? Read her diary, written over an entire year, to find out if she can outsmart her father and live the life she wants to lead.

It is actually Birdy’s brother, Edward, who challenges her to keep a diary – Edward is one of the few male characters in this book that the readers finds respectable, rather than repulsive. Any reader with siblings will appreciate the love and support they provide eachother, despite any physical distance between them. Tween girls will also totally sympathize with Birdy as they too try to break away from their parents and define their own lives.

I loved Cushman’s novel and believe her portrayal of medieval daily life is accurate; but it should be noted for lovers of the medieval genre that this novel doesn’t include any fairies or dragons. But for lovers of straightforward historical fiction, and in particular for girls in grades 6-8, Catherine, Called Birdy is an excellent read.

Cushman, K. (1994). Catherine, Called Birdy. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0-395-68186-3.