BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. 1994. Catherine, Called Birdy. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780547722184
PLOT SUMMARY
Catherine is the fourteen-year-old daughter of a knight and lady during the medieval times. A tomboy who prefers to go by the nickname “Birdy,” Catherine desires nothing more than to sing with the other peasants of the village and help with a festival. However her father’s plans for her include marrying her off to the most suitable bachelor, the man with the most money. As her mother words on teaching her proper manners and how to be a good wife, Catherine works doubly hard to get rid of any and all suitors that come her way.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Cushman does a wonderful job of creating a relatable character who possesses typical teenage qualities while fitting the time period the novel is set in. Her diary entries are amusing and sometimes laughable to those reading them as she shares what she really thinks of the suitors pursuing her. With an engaging plot, readers remain interested as they watch her quickly get rid of suitor after suitor.
With an authenticity that shines through, and a theme that is relatable to teens even today, this is a novel that is sure to remain a classic.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Newberry Honor Book, 1995
Birdy's journal, begun as an assignment, first wells up in the reluctant and aggressive prose of hated homework, and then eases into the light hearted flow of descriptive adventures and true confessions; the narrative device reveals Birdy's passage from rebellious child to responsible adult.- Publisher’s Weekly
CONNECTIONS
This novel would be a perfect addition to the study of medieval times. It would provide a different angle than that of most books involving knights.
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