Review: GOOD MASTERS! SWEET LADIES! : VOICES FROM A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE by Laura Amy Schlitz

1. BIBLIOGRAPHYSchlitz, Laura Amy. 2007. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! : Voices from a Medieval Village. Ill. by Robert Byrd. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763615789

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Laura Amy Schlitz presents a series of monologues and a few dialogues based on the typical activities of a 13th Century English manor. The selections are based on the actions of young townsfolk between the ages of ten and fifteen. Her motivation for writing this book was to provide students an opportunity to put on a performance based on what they had been learning during a study of Medieval Times. The characters are varied, ranging from runaways and beggars to the son of a knight and the nephew of a lord. In several places throughout the text, Schlitz provides background information to help explain the motivations of the characters, the setting both in time and place, and the values and beliefs of those who lived in that period of time.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! is an enjoyable read either as a silent read or a read aloud. The characters are created to appeal to an audience of young and old alike. Not only are the selections fun to read but they are filled with the culture of 13th Century England. The reader (listener) learns about the traditions of the day such as holiday celebrations and falconry, the social hierarchy from peasant to miller to lord, and historical events such as the Crusades.
In addition to including pages on “a little background” throughout the book, Schlitz also provides side notes throughout the text to help explain medieval traditions to young readers. Through these notes and the background information, not only learn more about the time period, they are also able to more fully understand the content of the monologues and dialogues.
The illustrations by Robert Byrd not only provide aesthetic appeal, they also help the reader develop a “feel for the times” which is not always easy to do when the setting is several hundred years in the past. Each page is accented by color either by illustrations or by the broad almost stitched appearing vertical lines that frame each two page spread. Even the choice of font adds to the medieval setting.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
BOOKLIST review: “This unusually fine collection of related monologues and dialogues promises to be a rewarding choice for performance or for reading aloud in the classroom.”
KIRKUS review: “Schlitz takes the breath away with unabashed excellence in every direction. This wonderfully designed and produced volume contains 17 monologues for readers ten to 15, each in the voice of a character from an English town in 1255.”

5. CONNECTIONS
The most obvious connection, given that the book is a series of monologues, would be to perform the selections in a dramatic presentation. Conducting further research concerning styles of dress, mannerisms, accents, etc. of the medieval times would enrich the experience for the students.
If money and location allow, the best extension to this book would be to visit a Renaissance fair or festival to experience the culture first hand.