Powerline Productions
  • Home
    • Contact
    • Author Pastor Mike Curtis
  • Books
    • Homeschool >
      • Joyful & Successful Homeschooling
      • Seven R's of Homeschooling
      • Quick & EZ Unit Study Fun
      • Unlocking the Mystery of Homeschooling High School
    • Picture Books
    • Celebrate >
      • Wedding Planner
      • St. Valentine's Day Cards
      • Celebrate Our Christian Heroes
      • Celebrate Thanksgiving
      • Celebrate Christmas with a Traveling Dinner
  • Curriculum
    • HIS Story of the 20th Century >
      • HIS Story of the 20th Century Textbook
      • HIS Story of the 20th Century High School Workbook >
        • 20 Century HS Workbook Answer Key
      • HIS Story of the 20th Century Middle School Workbook >
        • 20 Century MS Workbook Answer Key
      • HIS Story of the 20th Century Cookbook
    • High School Courses >
      • Economics, Finances, & Business >
        • Economics, Finances, & Business Answer Key by Meredith Curtis
      • American Literature & Research
      • British Literature
      • Who-Dun-It Murder Mystery
      • Foundations of Western Literature
      • Communication 101: Essays & Speeches
      • Old Testament Survey
      • Worldview: Understand the Times Workbook
      • Drama
      • Career Choices & the College Decision
      • Real Men 101
      • Real Men 102
      • Real Men 103: Leadership
      • God's Girls 101
      • God's Girls 103
      • God's Girls 104: Motherhood
      • God's Girls 105: Homemaking
    • Travel God's World Geography >
      • Travel God's World Geography Unit Study/Worktext
      • Travel God's World Cookbook
    • Unit Studies >
      • Travel to London Unit Study
      • Travel the World Country Report Lapbook
      • Celebrate Christmas in Colonial America Unit Study
      • Celebrate Christmas with Cookies Unit Study
      • Celebrate Christmas in Germany Unit Study
      • My Creation Week Lapbook
      • Lambs Exploring Heavens Lapbook
    • Teach History the Fun Way >
      • American History Cookbook
      • Ancient History Cookbook
      • Ancient History Timeline
      • American History Timeline
      • Let's Have Our Own Archaeological Dig
      • Let's Have Our Own Ancient Greek Olympics Games
      • Let's Have Our Own Medieval Banquet
      • Let's Have Our Own Luau
    • Families Learn Together American History >
      • FLT American History Art Appreciation
    • STEM Notebooking Pages
    • Middle School Courses >
      • Americana Newspaper Reporting
  • Bible
    • Real Men >
      • The Making of Real Men
      • Real Men Talk about Freedom, Girls, & Marriage
      • Real Men Build
    • God's Girls >
      • God's Girls Brand New Life
      • God's Girls Beauty Secrets
      • God's Girls Friends to the End
      • God's Girls Talk about Guys, Virtue, & Marriage
    • Ladies Bible Studies >
      • Lovely to Behold
      • A Wise Woman Builds
      • Jesus, Fill My Heart & Home
      • Friends to the End
    • PremaritalCounseling
  • Cozy Mysteries
  • Blog

Being World Changers, Raising World Changers

Blog
Powerline Productions Team

Book Review: Sarah Plain and Tall

11/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Winner of the John Newbery Medal, Sarah Plain and Tall is a delight. I’ve said it before about many other books, but it remains true of this little gem.

Written for children, this book takes us through the emotional story of a little prairie family who lost their mother and hopes to find another.

A difficult childbirth left the young farmer with an infant, Caleb, a little girl, Anna, and no wife. Everything changed that day, but the young farmer struggled on for years, trying to make the best of the situation. Loneliness, perhaps feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work his farm requires, or simply concern for his children led Jacob, also known as Papa, to advertise for a wife. The one reply he received surprised the entire family. Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton from Maine answered his ad.
​
Sarah seems to be forthright, honest, funny, and a definite possibility. She further adds to her appeal by writing letters to each of the children as well as the father. After exchanging a few letters, Sarah agrees to come to the prairie to meet the family, see the farm, and let everybody concerned decide if Sarah should come to be wife and mother to the small family.

Picture
The author did an excellent job of showing the personality, values, and emotions of each character. Sarah described herself as plain and tall, but she is so much more. She is funny. She is kind. She is thoughtful. She is practical. She works very hard She loves, loves, loves animals and she sings, which is important to young Caleb.

Caleb, who never knew his mother, is desperate for one. This time is hardest on him because he is deathly afraid of offending Sarah, causing her to refuse the family.

My heart went out to the little boy as I read through the story.
​
Written for children, this book does an amazing job of developing characters which you will fall in love with yourself. You will get to know Sarah, Jacob, and the children at the same time as you watch them learn about one another. In this time when it seems so strange to take out an ad in the newspaper but online dating is common, this book serves as an excellent reminder that getting to know people can be pure.
​
We used this book as an example of showing character without directly telling about it. It was an excellent example for our Middle School Writing class. I hope you will take the time and share this excellent book with your older elementary or middle school students.

Picture
Would you like to read more book reviews? Visit our website, Joyful and Successful Homeschooling's Book Reviews Page. You can read about more great books for you and your children to read.

We also have free reading lists for every member of your family. Check them out here: Joyful and Successful Homeschooling's Reading Lists.

You can learn more about teaching your children to read in Joyful and Successful Homeschooling, an incredible resource for all things homeschooling. Joyful and Successful Homeschooling can be purchase at Amazon. The E-book can be purchased at PayHip or Currclick.

We love books and hope your family does, too. Happy Reading!

Warmly, 
Laura Nolette

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Meredith Curtis
    Laura Nolette
    Sarah Jeffords
    Julianna Curtis
    ​Marla Stevens
    ​Katie-Beth Curtis Nolette
    ​Pastor Mike Curtis

    Archives

    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017

    Categories

    All
    A Wise Woman Builds
    Beauty & Health
    Celebrate
    Economics
    Family Fun
    Field Trips
    Freebies
    Geography
    God's Girls
    History
    Homeschool
    Homeschooling High School
    Hospitality
    Ladies Heart To Heart
    Living Books
    Maggie King Mysteries
    Music
    PLP Family News
    Preschool & Toddler Fun
    Real Men Build
    Recipes
    Reviews
    Sales
    STEM
    TOS Review Crew
    Travel
    Weddings
    World Changers

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from cloudzilla, Fil.Al, vaniljapulla, m01229, Ian D. Keating
  • Home
    • Contact
    • Author Pastor Mike Curtis
  • Books
    • Homeschool >
      • Joyful & Successful Homeschooling
      • Seven R's of Homeschooling
      • Quick & EZ Unit Study Fun
      • Unlocking the Mystery of Homeschooling High School
    • Picture Books
    • Celebrate >
      • Wedding Planner
      • St. Valentine's Day Cards
      • Celebrate Our Christian Heroes
      • Celebrate Thanksgiving
      • Celebrate Christmas with a Traveling Dinner
  • Curriculum
    • HIS Story of the 20th Century >
      • HIS Story of the 20th Century Textbook
      • HIS Story of the 20th Century High School Workbook >
        • 20 Century HS Workbook Answer Key
      • HIS Story of the 20th Century Middle School Workbook >
        • 20 Century MS Workbook Answer Key
      • HIS Story of the 20th Century Cookbook
    • High School Courses >
      • Economics, Finances, & Business >
        • Economics, Finances, & Business Answer Key by Meredith Curtis
      • American Literature & Research
      • British Literature
      • Who-Dun-It Murder Mystery
      • Foundations of Western Literature
      • Communication 101: Essays & Speeches
      • Old Testament Survey
      • Worldview: Understand the Times Workbook
      • Drama
      • Career Choices & the College Decision
      • Real Men 101
      • Real Men 102
      • Real Men 103: Leadership
      • God's Girls 101
      • God's Girls 103
      • God's Girls 104: Motherhood
      • God's Girls 105: Homemaking
    • Travel God's World Geography >
      • Travel God's World Geography Unit Study/Worktext
      • Travel God's World Cookbook
    • Unit Studies >
      • Travel to London Unit Study
      • Travel the World Country Report Lapbook
      • Celebrate Christmas in Colonial America Unit Study
      • Celebrate Christmas with Cookies Unit Study
      • Celebrate Christmas in Germany Unit Study
      • My Creation Week Lapbook
      • Lambs Exploring Heavens Lapbook
    • Teach History the Fun Way >
      • American History Cookbook
      • Ancient History Cookbook
      • Ancient History Timeline
      • American History Timeline
      • Let's Have Our Own Archaeological Dig
      • Let's Have Our Own Ancient Greek Olympics Games
      • Let's Have Our Own Medieval Banquet
      • Let's Have Our Own Luau
    • Families Learn Together American History >
      • FLT American History Art Appreciation
    • STEM Notebooking Pages
    • Middle School Courses >
      • Americana Newspaper Reporting
  • Bible
    • Real Men >
      • The Making of Real Men
      • Real Men Talk about Freedom, Girls, & Marriage
      • Real Men Build
    • God's Girls >
      • God's Girls Brand New Life
      • God's Girls Beauty Secrets
      • God's Girls Friends to the End
      • God's Girls Talk about Guys, Virtue, & Marriage
    • Ladies Bible Studies >
      • Lovely to Behold
      • A Wise Woman Builds
      • Jesus, Fill My Heart & Home
      • Friends to the End
    • PremaritalCounseling
  • Cozy Mysteries
  • Blog