Sarah, Plain and Tall: A Newbery Award Winner: 1 - Softcover

MacLachlan, Patricia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062399527 ISBN 13: 9780062399526

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2015

Synopsis

This beloved Newbery Medal-winning book is the first of five books in Patricia MacLachlan's chapter book series about the Witting family.

Set in the late nineteenth century and told from young Anna's point of view, Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of how Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton comes from Maine to the prairie to answer Papa's advertisement for a wife and mother. Before Sarah arrives, Anna and her younger brother Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice? Will she sing? Will she stay?

This children's literature classic is perfect for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie books, historical fiction, and timeless stories using rich and beautiful language. Sarah, Plain and Tall gently explores themes of abandonment, loss and love.

This anniversary edition includes author Patricia MacLachlan's Newbery speech, a discussion guide, and a reading list.

Read the rest of the Sarah books by Patricia MacLachlan: Skylark, Caleb's Story, More Perfect than the Moon, and Grandfather's Dance.

About this title

Review:

"In a near-perfect miniature novel, two children experience the apprehensions and joys of the possibility of a new mother, when their father invites a mail-order bride to their prairie home." -- "BL.""An exquisite, sometimes painfully touching tale."-- "The New York Times"A book that is filed with wisdom, gentle humor and the practical concerns necessary for a satisfying life. Terse writing and poetic rhythm flow to create a tender story about the fragile beginnings of a family relationship on its way to permanence."-- "School Library Jornal

From the Back Cover:

"Did Mama sing every day?"
Caleb asks his sister Anna.
"Every-single-day," she answers.
"Papa sang, too."

Their mother died the day after Caleb was born. Their house on the prairie is quiet now, and Papa doesn't sing anymore. Then Papa puts an ad in the paper, asking for a wife, and he receives a letter from one Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton, of Maine. Papa, Anna, and Caleb write back. Caleb asks if she sings.

Sarah decides to come for a month. She writes Papa: I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plain and tall, and Tell them I sing. Anna and Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice? Will she like them? Will she stay?

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0062399527
• ISBN 13: 9780062399526
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 112