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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
Lovely. Kids loved it. Rhett picked up on all the nuances of the story that I wouldn't have necessarily expected.
This was a short and sweet book. This is one of three books I am looking at in the context of gender and gender roles and since I am looking at this books with that context it has shaped my rating slightly. The children have lost their mother and father has lost his wife. He puts an ad in the paper in hopes of finding someone to fill these roles and fill these voids. Why is though we feel they should and need to be filled?
Pretty good. I was surprised my boys wanted to read this (out of a stack of 8 options) but I think it's because it is short. They both enjoyed the story and it was fun to read it during the week of Blake's Pioneer Day Field Trip. I am so intrigued at how different their lives were back then - and possibly a tad jealous because it seems much simpler in some ways.
I might even get the companion book to read as well, this was too short. (May 2015)
We listened to this in the car and the audio book was really good. Isaac needed a historical fiction book for his 40-book list and I picked this because it's only 1 CD. We all really liked it. We might listen to the next story called Skylark. (July 2018)
I might even get the companion book to read as well, this was too short. (May 2015)
We listened to this in the car and the audio book was really good. Isaac needed a historical fiction book for his 40-book list and I picked this because it's only 1 CD. We all really liked it. We might listen to the next story called Skylark. (July 2018)
Certainly not my first reading of this book, but it never fails to hit me in the gut. This is probably the least flashy Newbery ever awarded, frankly. The story is simple and straightforward, filled with finely wrought emotion--grief, homesickness, hope, fondness, admiration--and the characters are lovable and memorable, if rather one-dimensional. MacLachlan's skill is in the recording of details that are both specific and universal in the way that we humans love. Always a pleasure to revisit this one.
Nostalgia read with my son. We’ve been reading a lot of Lemony Snicket and this was a nice change of pace. Sweet and quiet story. Caleb and Anna’s mother has died and their dad writes a letter seeking a possible bride. Sarah arrives from Maine to see if she is a good fit for the family. Sarah is very much her own person and does not change to fit in, but finds her own way to belong. Strong female character. I think I originally read this around the time I read the little house on the prairie books. Fits in with the theme of life on the prairies.
Patricia did some amazing character development for such a short story. With this, you are in and you're out. A family lost their mother and Sarah answers an ad in the paper. They write letters back and forth. Sarah goes from Maine to the plains. The kids love Sarah. There is a big Squall to be the big piece of this book.
It was a quick, enjoyable read. If you loved Little house on the Prairie, then you need to read this too. Great for 3rd and 4th grade readers.
It was a quick, enjoyable read. If you loved Little house on the Prairie, then you need to read this too. Great for 3rd and 4th grade readers.
I know I read this as a child, but couldn’t remember it at all. It’s a cute story.
Lovely and heartwarming. In fewer than 60 pages of beautiful, economical prose that never talks down to its young audience, MacLachlan tells a poignant tale of longing, hope, and love. She brings her small cast of characters to life (sweet Caleb!) and paints a vivid picture of late-19th century life on the plains. Deceptively simple, full of rich emotion and truth. I teared up more than once while reading this. I wish all children's books were so well-written! A real classic.