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lighthearted reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I'd never heard of this until my students put on a staged production of this book.

The play was better, NGL.

“There are always things to miss, no matter where you are.”
emotional funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

A sweet short story about 4 people who come together to heal each other's hearts.

Great historical fic. Read in sixth grade, reread it lately. Such goodness!!

A darling, poignant little story that manages to wrap up so many emotions — fear, hope, longing, love — in under 100 pages. My heart broke for Anna and Caleb, who just want a mother, but cheered for the Wittings as Sarah brought joy to their lives. My only complaint is that the reader doesn’t get to see the wedding and the Wittings’ lives afterwards, though I understand there are sequels. This one’s Newberry Medal is well-deserved.

I've had this book in my shelves for a bit now and decided to pick it up today. It is sweet, endearing, and sad. I am assuming the age range is 7 to 9 or 6 to 9, but I think any ages could enjoy this very short read. However I do wish there were more details, not as specific as some novels but just a bit more so that the story is more of a whole. I think a 6 year old or 7 year old would enjoy it more, but for it to be a child's book that could strecth across all ages, it needs to be a bit more than this. None the less though I am keeping it but more for my sisters than for myself.

A little girl (whose mother has died) is excited by the arrival of Sarah, a lovable mail order bride.

I love the straightforwardness of kids'/YA books. Sometimes it feels so much more sincere to say, "Caleb slipped his hand into mine as we stood on the porch, watching the road. He was afraid" than to perform some literary acrobats attempting to show not tell the same thing. Especially, of course, because this story is told from the perspective of a young girl. This is a tender, quaintly written book that totally pulls on my heart strings without an ounce or pretension of manipulation. One to keep as comfort and reminder of the emotional impact of simplicity.