Good Young Adult Fiction

Karen Cushman won a Newbery Medal in 1996 for her second young adult novel, The Midwife's Apprentice. It is a short book with a clear message about confidence in oneself.

The story, set in the Middle Ages, concerns a young girl, homeless and orphaned, known only as "Brat." When she is found hiding in a dung heap by a greedy midwife, she is re-named "Beetle," or "Dung Beetle." The midwife takes her in and feeds her in exchange for work; Beetle also begins to pay attention to the midwife's work with women in labor. Despite the midwife's greed, Beetle does learn some midwifery skill and she at last names herself Alyce. Alyce runs away after failing to help a woman deliver her baby, but in the end she finds a place for herself in the village.

Cushman presents an interesting, if short, story, appropriate for ages 12 and up. The story is enjoyable, and the message about finding one's place in life and being willing to fail and try again is excellent. I was impressed with the miserable life that Alyce overcame in the story, and with the way that she learned to help not only herself, but others. Cushman's story is realistic in the historical details of the Middle Ages, especially with respect to midwifery.

While I enjoyed the historical detail, I would have liked to read more about the characters themselves. Alyce's character is the most fleshed out, as she is the focus of the story, but I finished the story feeling as if I didn't know her very well. As for the rest of the characters, they struck me more as character sketches than as believable "people."

I enjoyed The Midwife's Apprentice; it was an interesting story. For me, it didn't measure up to another Newbery Medal winner that I recently read - Lois Lowry's The Giver. Still, it is worth the one or two hours that it takes to read. Just don't expect to be blown away by this one.

Readers who enjoy The Midwife's Apprentice may also enjoy Cushman's other young adult novel, Catherine, Called Birdy.