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21st out of 102 books
—
94 voters
Matilda Bone
Newbery medalist Karen Cushman assembles a cast of unforgettable characters in a fascinating and pungent setting: the medical quarter of a medieval English Village. To Blood and Bone Alley, home of leech, barber-surgeon, and apothecary, comes Matilda, raised by a priest to be pious and learned, and now destined to assist Red Peg the Bonesetter. To Matilda's dismay, her wor...more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
March 12th 2002
by Yearling
(first published October 16th 2000)
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Apa jadinya kalau sejak kecil kita dibesarkan di sebuah rumah mewah, mendapatkan pengetahuan kita hanya dari seorang guru sekaligus penasehat spiritual, tanpa mengetahui dunia luar sana? Bagai katak dalam tempurung, bukan?
Itulah yang terjadi pada Matilda. Sejak ibunya meninggal, Matilda tinggal bersama ayahnya yang bekerja pada seorang kaya raya sebagai juru tulis di sebuah rumah yang besar. Matilda diajarkan membaca, menulis Latin yang suatu hari nanti akan bermanfaat baginya. At least demikian...more
Itulah yang terjadi pada Matilda. Sejak ibunya meninggal, Matilda tinggal bersama ayahnya yang bekerja pada seorang kaya raya sebagai juru tulis di sebuah rumah yang besar. Matilda diajarkan membaca, menulis Latin yang suatu hari nanti akan bermanfaat baginya. At least demikian...more
Matilda's dropped off in "Blood and Bone" Alley by this priest that has raised her since childhood. She's a snobby little bitch who thinks she knows everything. The bonesetter Red Peg and the rest of the health workers in the alley teach Matilda right.
I'm really torn as to whether this was better than "Catherine Called Birdy" or not. It's so different, it's incomparable. I loved both books so so so so so so much.
In "Matilda Bone," Karen Cushman tells a feminist story set in medieval times. She...more
I'm really torn as to whether this was better than "Catherine Called Birdy" or not. It's so different, it's incomparable. I loved both books so so so so so so much.
In "Matilda Bone," Karen Cushman tells a feminist story set in medieval times. She...more
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Title: Matilda Bone
Author: Karen Cushman
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rate: 4 Stars
Summary: Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman is about a fourteen year old girl that is taken to Bone Alley. She was a very religious girl and lived with a priest in a Manor. The story takes place during the Renaissance, a very interesting age! Matilda is taken to Bone Alley to help a woman named Red Peg, the Bonesetter. Matilda, being extremely religious, finds that she is left alone, almost abandoned by her only ‘Family.’...more
Author: Karen Cushman
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rate: 4 Stars
Summary: Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman is about a fourteen year old girl that is taken to Bone Alley. She was a very religious girl and lived with a priest in a Manor. The story takes place during the Renaissance, a very interesting age! Matilda is taken to Bone Alley to help a woman named Red Peg, the Bonesetter. Matilda, being extremely religious, finds that she is left alone, almost abandoned by her only ‘Family.’...more
The last of the Cushman's I have to read, Matilda Bone continued on the author's theme of historical/coming-of-age fiction. Set in medieval England, young Matilda is set in her ways, as much as she can be at 14. She is sent to work for Peg the bone setter. But Matilda has been taught reading, Latin, obedience and much theology, and she considers everyone who does not know at least as much as herself to be beneath her. In time, she comes to understand that everyone has their virtues and that know...more
So I have 4 children in 3 different schools and consequently spend a lot of time in the car. Lately I have been listening to a lot of YA fiction to pass the taxi time. I figure with little ears in the back seat, I better keep things safe and select books on CD strictly from the young adult section. It turns out that all teen books these days are about cliques, mean girls, and vampires...blech! So I was thrilled to listen to this little gem by Karen Cushman.
If you aren't familiar with Cushman, s...more
If you aren't familiar with Cushman, s...more
This book aimed at young readers tells an interesting story and displays what good quality writing is all about. Young Matilda, living in England of the Middle Ages finds herself virtually orphaned at 14 and sharing the plight which many children would have experienced during that era. With no real relations or home of her own, she is apprenticed to the village bonesetter. She feels out of place and lacking skills, but begins to see that life forms connections in many ways and people's skills ar...more
CUSHMAN, Karen. Matilda Bone. 167p. Dell Yearling. 2000. ISBN: 0-440-41822-4.
When we meet Matilda she is in a state of disbelief. She has just been dropped off at the end of Blood and Bone Alley, where she is to find her new home and place of apprenticeship with Red Peg the Bonesetter. Matilda is in constant hope that Father Leufredus, her guardian and teacher since she became orphaned, will come back for her. He has provided her a medieval religious education; she knows Latin and the lives of a...more
When we meet Matilda she is in a state of disbelief. She has just been dropped off at the end of Blood and Bone Alley, where she is to find her new home and place of apprenticeship with Red Peg the Bonesetter. Matilda is in constant hope that Father Leufredus, her guardian and teacher since she became orphaned, will come back for her. He has provided her a medieval religious education; she knows Latin and the lives of a...more
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I think of the three of Karen Cushman's that I have read so far this is my favorite. You can see the growth as an author in this book, I believe it is her fourth, in the depth of the charaters and the development of the story.
Matilda is prickly as a main charater and difficult to enjoy at first but her transformation is so captivating and her world view so alien from anything I have encountered that I was really drawn in. The surrounding characters have a surprising three-dimensionality to them...more
Matilda is prickly as a main charater and difficult to enjoy at first but her transformation is so captivating and her world view so alien from anything I have encountered that I was really drawn in. The surrounding characters have a surprising three-dimensionality to them...more
Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman tells the story of a bonesetter's apprentice in medieval England. She is sent by Father Leufredus to Blood and Bone Alley to live with Red Peg the Bonesetter. Because she is very pious and believes in being learned, she finds conflict with the people living in Blood and Bone Alley. Also, she is absorbed into the world of medicine, which involves the corrupt Master Theobald and many others, including Doctor Margery. This book is very informative because it tells a lo...more
Just as I was beginning to find the protagonist tolerable, the story wrapped itself up in a very open ending. I think the conflict the character was illustrating was very relevant for the historical period the story is exploring, however, it was humoring a viewpoint that is extremely difficult for a modern reader to sympathize with. I felt the author could have potentially bridged the reader's sympathies with the protagonist's with a lighter, more charitable hand. But the illustration she create...more
a wonderful book introducing the middle ages to children but, really, to anyone. Cushman does a good job of animating the everyday life of a person in medieval England and has truly done her research on just about every aspect of medieval life but focused on medicine and religion.
surprisingly, this book teaches critical thinking and confronts overly pious and zealous attitudes with enthusiasm. Matilda Bone was raised in a minor noble's manor by a priest who is delivered to a bonesetter named Peg...more
surprisingly, this book teaches critical thinking and confronts overly pious and zealous attitudes with enthusiasm. Matilda Bone was raised in a minor noble's manor by a priest who is delivered to a bonesetter named Peg...more
This is a novel for slightly older readers than is Catherine, Called Birdy, although it springs from the same body of research (as does Cushman’s The Midwife’s Apprentice). This tale shows more graphically the conditions in which the common people of the period lived. Matilda Bone becomes an apprentice to a “bone-setter,” or wise woman—who charged less from and did more for the poorer people in the community. Through her story we learn of the living conditions, the social structure, the politics...more
Great book, i absolutely adored it. It really gave you insight of the peasants of the middle ages. It was easy to make comparisons between their life style and that of the rich, since Matilda was often making them. THe woman she was staying with (its been so long, i've forgotten her name)made some interesting points that made me realize that alot of what people back then thought was religion, was really across between supersition and religion.
If u haven't read the book yet, don't read what i'm...more
If u haven't read the book yet, don't read what i'm...more
Feb 28, 2013
Rozsa Gaston
added it
My daughter and I read this book together and loved it! She wants to be a doctor one day and this book is about a young girl living in the Middle Ages who is apprenticed to a bone setter. Matilda undergoes a character transformation from zealous religious zealotry to understanding, compassionate and practical healer. As I explained to my daughter she started off with book sense and ended up with both book sense and horse sense. This is a book that resonates on many levels - we loved the medieval...more
Well-written and a quick read. Its the story of an orphan raised by a priest to be extremely religious and disciplined. When Matilda is a young teen the priest drops her off at Red Peg, the Bonesetter's to be her assistant. Having no concept of the real world, and being very confused as to why she's been abandoned, this is quite a shock and requires much patience and adjustment, not just for Matilda, but for those in her new world, as well. Good depiction of the Middle Ages and the practice of m...more
Father Leufredus has taught Matilda how to read, speak, and write Latin, how to read and write in English, information about various saints, how to pray in different positions and at several times during the day, how to judge, all about the countless things that are wrong and bad for her, but he hasn't taught her how to listen, to love, to laugh, to dream, or to give of herself. He hasn't taught her what a friend is, or what it feels like to belong. But when he drops her off to apprentice to Red...more
Lately I've been forcing myself to delve into teen and young adult lit for the sake of getting caught up on stuff that has been written since I was teen. I think it's worth screening books so I can make recommendations to my tween.
This was a book that as an adult leaves me vaguely satisfied, but I give it four starts because as a 10-15 year old, I would have enjoyed this a lot. I would have loved the style, I would have loved middle ages Europe as a backdrop.
Charming, fun and I will definitely...more
This was a book that as an adult leaves me vaguely satisfied, but I give it four starts because as a 10-15 year old, I would have enjoyed this a lot. I would have loved the style, I would have loved middle ages Europe as a backdrop.
Charming, fun and I will definitely...more
A slight but entertaining story about a sheltered, well-educated girl who finds her ability to read Latin and intimate knowledge of saints and devils to be of very little use when she is apprenticed to a bonesetter and plunged into the world of medieval medicine. Great grade-school material to read as part of a Middle Ages unit, with loads of period detail disguised by a story children will be able to follow and relate to. Cushman does a particularly excellent job of leaving out anachronistic id...more
Written by Celine Tougas, aged 11.
This is a story about an orphan named Matilda in medieval England. She was raised by a priest in a manor but then was dropped off at Blood and Bone Alley to be apprenticed to Red Peg the bonesetter. At first she feels lonely and misunderstood because no one thinks that reading latin and knowing the names of saints is any use. She is also proud and difficult to get a long with. She meets a friend named Tildy. In the end Matilda learns to be more appreciative of t...more
This is a story about an orphan named Matilda in medieval England. She was raised by a priest in a manor but then was dropped off at Blood and Bone Alley to be apprenticed to Red Peg the bonesetter. At first she feels lonely and misunderstood because no one thinks that reading latin and knowing the names of saints is any use. She is also proud and difficult to get a long with. She meets a friend named Tildy. In the end Matilda learns to be more appreciative of t...more
I love learning about the way medieval people lived their lives from day to day, and Karen Cushman managed to teach me not only that, but also the way they might have thought. Usually in books, characters' literacy is seen as a good thing, sometimes even all-important. But Matilda Bone, educated in reading, writing, Latin, and the lives of the saints, learns that there are more important things in life. It is so interesting to see the way her thinking changes through the book. She goes from thin...more
I liked this story a lot though I wouldn’t go so far as to exclaim that it was the best story I’ve read this year. Matilda’s inner conversations with saints are pretty funny. (Example: “Matilda worried until her head hurt, but Saint Denis, when called upon for aid, said only, Your head aches? I had no head...”) I think students will have difficulty with some of the Latin Matilda frequently uses and all of the saints she names, but I don’t think it will cause them to put the book away permanentl...more
Matilda Bone is another great read by Cushman, but I did have a few problems with it. It is suppose to be for around sixth grade, but I found the book far too advanced for that age level. There is a lot of Latin in it and a lot of Medieval Catholicism to it. Matilda frequently talks to the Saints and they often answer her with smart-mouthed comments. I feel that this overt religious side, although perfect for the plot and time period, might be daunting to a younger reader.
Read the rest of my rev...more
Read the rest of my rev...more
I found Matilda Bone on a list of feminist novels for girls. Karen Cushman, whom I read and did not fully appreciate as an eight and nine year old, tells the charming and quaint story of Matilda, a girl who aspires to achieve saintly status via the influential teachings of a priest who imparts the importance of being "meek and obedient". When Matilda finds herself in a new place, where bodily presence is not disregarded or sinful, where women are wise and learned, where science is trusted, where...more
4Q 2P
This was a very niche-specific book. The young girl Matilda becomes an apprentice to a bonesetter and must learn the ways of Red Peg, despite her devout and pious training. The religious undertone was very off-putting for a reader and those without Christian background or interest may not like Matilda because of her constant religious speech and deference to saints. The story was written very well and had nice inserts of humor, but it moved very slowly without any major altering events driv...more
This was a very niche-specific book. The young girl Matilda becomes an apprentice to a bonesetter and must learn the ways of Red Peg, despite her devout and pious training. The religious undertone was very off-putting for a reader and those without Christian background or interest may not like Matilda because of her constant religious speech and deference to saints. The story was written very well and had nice inserts of humor, but it moved very slowly without any major altering events driv...more
My only complaint about Matilda Bone? It wasn't long enough! The author could easily have lengthened the story--expanding on Matilda's growth from a self-centered, self-righteous, snooty girl to someone who learns of the importance of friendship, sacrifice, and an appreciation of others. The author, in her end note, mentions how during her research, she realized that her job was to tell a story, not write a medical dictionary. Bravo--finally, a writer who realizes that every bit of her research...more
I liked this, though I found it fairly heavy-handed. Young Matilda has been raised by a priest to be humble but learned in Latin, to be obedient and not to question, to be a priggish pain in the tush, in other words. She's suddenly sent to live with Red Peg the Bonesetter, and oh, how Matilda hates this new life where Latin isn't important, and God is about love instead of punishment, and where the unschooled and the ignorant help people in distress. Heavy-handed, but sweet and well-researched a...more
Karen Cushman weaves another medieval tale about an orphan raised by a strict clergyman. She is well-versed in religious lore, but not in the practical things of life such as building fires and going to market. When Father Leufredus leaves her to live with the Bonesetter in Blood and Bone Alley, Matilda must change how she sees the world she lives in and the people around her. Cushman's interest in medieval medicine underscores this coming of age story. Not as compelling as the author's earlier...more
The book “Matilda Bone” by author Karen Cushman, talks about how Matilda is used to an easier way of living. She would prefer to live in a manor house with Father Leufredus than to live with a bone setter, because in the manor she got everything she wanted, and she studied Latin and the lives of the Saints that she adored. But one day she is brought to live with a local bone setter who is called Mistress Pig. She soon finds out that her life will be filled with the scent of healing herbs, broken...more
Liked this juve. fiction book set in Medieval England... I enjoyed the quirky characters and learning about a practice called "bone-setting". Bone setters could be unlearned and even women (gasp!) They, of course, set broken bones and did other things doctors would not do. This story tells the tale of an orphan girl who is apprenticed to a bone setter... thus, the title "Matilda Bone". Along her learning curve, she meets many interesting characters who help shape her ideas and who she is as a pe...more
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Karen Cushman was born in Chicago, Illinois.
She entered Stanford University on a scholarship in 1959 and graduated with degrees in Greek and English. She later earned master’s degrees in human behavior and museum studies.
For eleven years she was an adjunct professor in the Museum Studies Department at John F. Kennedy University before resigning in 1996 to write full-time.
She lives on Vashon Isla...more
More about Karen Cushman...
She entered Stanford University on a scholarship in 1959 and graduated with degrees in Greek and English. She later earned master’s degrees in human behavior and museum studies.
For eleven years she was an adjunct professor in the Museum Studies Department at John F. Kennedy University before resigning in 1996 to write full-time.
She lives on Vashon Isla...more
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