Module 6: Will Sparrow's Road

Book Summary

Will Sparrow is a boy on his own in Elizabethan England. His father sold him to an innkeeper to settle his drinking debts. At his new job, he ate regularly, better than he did at home, but it was never much and never as good as the inn guests got. One day he stole a rabbit pie and ate it. The innkeeper vowed to sell him to the chimney sweeps, a job dangerous to one's health, so Will ran away. On his journey, he met a host of unsavory characters who tried to cheat him. He finally settles somewhat with traveling performers and finds work with a series of carnival acts. Some of the performers are kindly and fair, but most are not. Eventually, he meets the cat-girl and others with whom he finally finds a family.

APA Reference of Book

Cushman, K. (2012). Will Sparrow's road. New York, NY: Clarion.

Impressions

The details in this story paint an accurate picture of what life was like for a boy or a girl on there own in Elizabethan England. The characters are complex and well detailed, as are their surroundings; both are accurately portrayed. The pacing of the story is lively, filled with scary twists and turns, but all ends well for Will and his friends. This book might be too harsh for younger readers, who would learn for the first time how poorly children were treated in the past, but most kids would delight in reading of a character with the freedom that Will had. 

Professional Review

Vivid description brings the period and setting to life, and colorful characters flesh out the simple plotline. Fascinating, sometimes seemingly preposterous, details are solidly corroborated in the informative author's note that reflects Cushman's extensive research. As she did in Catherine Called Birdy (1994) and The Midwife's Apprentice (1995, both Clarion), the author has skillfully evoked a period far outside readers' experience to tell a good and accessible story.

Orlando, M. (2012, November). Will Sparrow's road. [Review of the book Will Sparrow's 
       Road, by K. Cushman]. School Library Journal, 58(11), 102. Retrieved from
       http://www.slj.com

Library Uses

Will Sparrow's Road would be an excellent choice for a book talk on historical fiction, or as a component of historical research. The details of life in Elizabethan England are accurate and plenty. As an example, the description of Will's life could be used in a presentation of the life of children in Elizabethan England.