Master Cornhill (Puffin Books) [Paperback]

Eloise Jarvis McGraw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 5, 1987 | Series: Puffin Books

Victim of both the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London, a homeless, penniless eleven-year-old must decide what direction his life should take.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (May 5, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140322558
• ISBN-13: 978-0140322552
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,245,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Master Cornhill, February 5, 2007

By 

Japheth Dow "Japheth Dow" (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Master Cornhill (Paperback)

Master Cornhill is about an orphan 11 year old boy in London around the time of the London Fire and the Black Plague. I like the descriptive language,the pictures and the map , all of which helped me to imagine what it was like to live at that time and in that place in history. The main character, Michael Cornhill, was courageous and loyal to his friends. I admire the way he searched for his identity and tried to find his way in the world without parents. I definitely recommend this book for anyone.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Ripper Of A Story, October 3, 2010

By 

LME "The Discerning Viewer" (Central CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Master Cornhill (Paperback)

Perhaps more likely to appeal to young males, this coming of age story centers on Master Cornhill, a twice-orphaned lad of 11 1/2 years. Due to the sweep of the Black Plague in 1665 he is left without a home, family, or friends. He is left to shift for himself as he forms new acquaintances. As if things were not difficult enough, the following year brings the Great Fire of London.

The book is rich in period detail and daft language of the times. If you have read aloud a few nonsensical children's storybooks it will be easy to have fun with such words as tarradiddle, Lud (Lord), or nowt-head (knothead or numbskull). It is also very useful to have watched Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett), Hercule Poirot, Jane Austen, and other period pieces. The cockney and courtly languages of London comes alive in those productions. There are also several Dutch words sprinkled in, most of which are self-explanatory. Jongen means young one, grootvader I think is grandfather, and meidje means maid for a few examples.

The reader learns about balladeers, map-colorers, shopkeepers, boatmen, and a several other trades. This makes a fine read-aloud for grades 2-5 or 6 and an independent read for grades 5-10.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Master Cornhill review by Morgan Lackey, January 18, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Master Cornhill (Paperback)

Master Cornill, in my opinion, is an extremely creative and interesting story. It was able to hold my attention with its excitement. Master Cornhill had a great balance of reality and fiction. I will never forget about the trying times in England now. I especially enjoyed the characters and the way they were portrayed. I would highly recommend this book!