Peasant

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-These volumes attempt to provide a fun approach to history but they fail miserably. The author presents limited information about life in the Middle Ages, offering generalizations without supporting documentation or facts (e.g., "All women minstrels come from good families" and "Nine out of ten people in the Middle Ages- are peasants"). In addition, the poorly written texts have awkward, stilted sentences. Further confusing readers, Lilly switches from writing about history in the past tense to writing about medieval life in the second person, present tense, sort of a "you are there" approach. Goettemoeller's illustrations appear to be an attempt to resemble illuminated manuscripts but are amateurish compared to the actual examples included. Slight books, with information that is available elsewhere.-Doris Losey, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, Tampa, FL