Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! - Voices from a Medieval Village 
          written by Laura Amy Schlitz and illustrated by Robert Byrd


Schlitz, L., & Byrd, R. (2007). Good masters! Sweet Ladies! voices from a medieval village.

        Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press.

This book contains 19 monologues of residents of a manor in English in 1255 and two dialogues for two actors.  There is no order for the pieces, and they can be read as selected since they present characters in the manor with no sequence to the profiles.  This book contains monologues, which are perfect performance pieces for children.  The author explains that each child can be a star with monologues, since there are no minor or major roles as in a play performance.

In this book, the author explains her philosophy about history, and she views history as survival, dramatic, not full of boring dead people.  Laura Amy Schlitz is a librarian, a professional story teller, and a playwright.

The characters in the book introduce themselves and events in their lives. It is easy to see the way of life of the characters from the presentations.  For example, Giles the beggar is a panhandler, tricking the crowd into buying holy water when the peddler sells holy water that "cures" him.  in addition, the play for two actors, "Jacob Ben Solomon, The Moneylender's Son and Petronella, The Merchant's Daughter, sets the Jewish son and the Christian Petronella at opposite sides of the river.  Jacob is surprised when Petronella skips the stones instead of throwing the stones at him. The two young people acknowledge each other as the exception to the stereotype: "She was like a friend, a sister- not like a Christian, more like a Jew? and the pair lines: "He was different from the others though I know that can't be true.  He was like a friend, a brother - more like a Christian, not like a Jew."

The miniature scenes of the fields, streams, woods, huts, and paths make the manor seem real, and the cameos of people in the corner of the pages with the presentations center around people in their own settings - the shepherdess kneeling by the sheep to console it while giving birth, the falconer's son holding the falcon, the glassblower's daughters in their home by the fireplace, and the miller's son at the mill with the sacks of grain.

I agree with the author's claim that history is not boring when presented in such monologues and pair performances.  The monologues and pair performances would make great speaking opportunities for young people. The illustrations bring the words to life and make the manor and the residents come alive.

Other books by Laura Amy Schiltz include: The Bearskinner, A Drowned Maiden’s Hair, and The Hero Schliemann. 

Activities: 

1.  Have the children decide which monologue they would like to perform and have class            
     performances.

2.  Ask the students to make a character, setting, plot chart to take notes on the facts of the    
     characters' lives      and events in the story.

3.  Have the children list challenges and hardships faced by people in this time period. 

Comprehension Questions: 

1. What kind of education did children receive in medieval times?  How did education differ 
     according to class and gender?

2. Who in the book has experienced loss? How does the death of a family member affect those   
    still  alive?

3.  Which people portrayed in the monologues have the best lives and the most freedom? Who 
     seems the most hopeless? Why?