Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I didn't particularly like this book, as you can tell from my rating. It's a cute story about a family in search for that motherly figure in their lives. I guess the whole idea of placing an ad in the newspaper is just beyond my time, because I thought it was very strange. There was nothing unique about the book, very realistic of an everyday life. I guess the writing goes along with the title, very plain.
5 stars. Such a sweet story. I'm not sure why it won the Newbery as not a lot happens, but I enjoyed it very much. I love how heartwarming the characters are and how real the emotions feel, especially Caleb's. I may have to finish the series at some point.
Glenn Close did a fantastic job narrating. Her voices were distinct and enjoyable to listen to. The musical background was a bit much but not too bad considering how short this one it.
Glenn Close did a fantastic job narrating. Her voices were distinct and enjoyable to listen to. The musical background was a bit much but not too bad considering how short this one it.
I came across this book while preparing for the Becky's Hugs Challenge. I LOVE the Hallmark Movies of this series (made me fall in love with Christopher Walken), but had not read the books. When I couldn't sleep in the wee hours of the morning, I picked it up and read it. The book was great and it made me appreciate the movie even more because nothing in the movie is changed from the book or hits a false note, but the movie feels like it includes the other stuff that happened in the book but was not written down by the child narrator.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely love this book as did my kids. The characters feel real to us and their story is deep and weighty without being too intense for children.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
I read this as a child, but just re-read it as a bedtime story to my girls. We loved the sweet, beautiful writing and the message about love was perfect.
The writing in this Newbery Medal winner is just like Sarah -- plain and tall. Limited description, simplistic dialogue, and an elementary plot combine to create a "tall" narration that paints a concise yet beautiful story. In short, Sarah, Plain and Tall is simplicity, perfected.
Not sure how many stars to give this one. I remember reading it in Elementary and spotted it when I was reading through the Newbery Award list.
There’s a part where the kid suggests tying Sarah up in order to keep her with them, and I just feel like that’s a good example of how even young boys instinctually believe women don’t have rights. I know, I know, “it’s not that deep,” but the whole concept of advertising for a woman to come out to the prairie and marry a man she’s never met is weird to begin with.
I thought this was a sweet book with a widower putting an ad in the paper for a wife and mother for his 2 children to come out and live on the prairie. Sarah writes back to each family member from her home in Maine, and they all fall in love with her and invite her to come to live for a while to see how she likes the family. Nothing much happens, but somehow the story has endured. There are other books that follow this one, but I'm not interested enough to look for them.