Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan is a story about a family without a mother. Anna and Caleb have lived many years without a mother in their lives because their mother passed away right after giving birth to Caleb. One day their father comes home and tells them that he has written an advertisement for a wife and gotten a reply from a lady named Sarah. Sarah decides to come for a month and see how she likes it. Anna, Caleb and their father all fall in love with Sarah but does Sarah love them enought to stay?
I thought this was a good book. I thought it was too short though and I wish they would have made it longer and told more of their story. I would have liked to have heard about their life after Sarah and their father were married. I thought the book was written very well with great descriptions of Maine (Sarah's old life) and the new life she is moving into. The emotion of the book is very raw and you feel what they are feeling and hope for the best for them.
I would use this book as a read aloud and I would also have it in my classroom library. This book would lead into great discussions about blending families or having a step parent. It would also lead to good discussions about the way marriages were set up back in the day compared to how they are set up in our society in present time. You could also have a discussion about marriages in different countries because there are arranged marriages in other countries and students would find this interesting. This book would be great for third graders and older. I am not sure if many boys would read this book on their own because it is told from the perspective of a girl but I think either gender would enjoy having this book read to them.
I loved this book growing up, and I love watching the movie. It is really powerful about what life use to be like if you were desperate enough. A farmer needed a wife to take care of his kids so he would work the farm. All the emotions that they go through to make it fit for them. I agree with you that boys probably won't be drawn to it, but if you do it as a read aloud, Boys might like the pioneer aspect of it.
ReplyDeleteYou're in luck - this book is actually part of a series, so you can find out more about their life after the end of this one. This works especially well for students who like the topic but might not have the stamina to read longer chapter books yet. This way they have access to the topic and multiple books in the series.
ReplyDeleteI also loved this book growing up. I can remember reading this book in class and being really engaged in the story. Like Amanda said it is part in a series and I have read them all. I like how you would use it to talk about arranged marriages. I know a lot of people have a misconception that arranged marriages are only in other countries but during that time period they were also done here in the United States. Great book to have in the classroom.
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