Explore the meaning of freedom in this story set in the late 1700s through the eyes of Sarah Bishop. Sarah Bishop tells the story of a young girl who is caught up in the conflict between Loyalist and Patriot colonists and between American and British soldiers at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Sarah is forced from her home on an adventure to find her brother and a peaceful place away from the fighting. Wanted for a crime she did not commit, Sarah learns to survive on her own, facing challenges from people and from nature and finding loyal friends along the way.
Patricia MacLachlan encourage her readers to explore what the meaning of love, marriage, and family mean to them in Sarah, Plain and Tall, the story of a family living on a farm on the prairie. Anna and Caleb’s mother died the day Caleb was born. Now, years later, Papa advertises in the paper for a new wife. Sarah Wheaton, a woman from Maine, writes to Papa and the children in response to the advertisement, and then she comes to visit for a month, “just to see.” As Papa, Anna, and Caleb get to know Sarah and she gets to know them, they all realize that Sarah will have to make an im
Written in present tense, Shiloh is the story of Marty Preston who, while on a walk one day, finds a young beagle that follows him home. Marty soon finds out that the dog belongs to Judd Travers, who is known to abuse his animals. When Shiloh runs away again, Marty finds a way to hide him from Judd and from his family, who can’t afford to keep a dog. Motivated by his love for Shiloh, Marty takes on the responsibilities of caring for a pet, but soon his secret is discovered, and Marty must confront Judd Travers and persevere through several challenges to make Shiloh his own.
Snow Treasure tells the story of a small Norwegian village, Riswyk, whose residents are determined to protect their country’s money from the invading Germans during World War II. The people of the village devise a scheme to smuggle 13 tons of gold bullion out of Norway to be stowed safely in the United States. Their plan relies on the courage of all the villagers, the weather, and the hope that the German sentries will not be suspicious of children with sleds. Readers will have the opportunity to learn and investigate different techniques which Marie McSwigan uses to create su
Talk About a Family tells of an older brother’s homecoming from the military in the midst of a family crisis: the parents are moving toward a break-up. Genny, the main character, takes the lead in preparing a homecoming party for her brother Larry. She tries to get everyone involved in the planning of the celebration, hoping to get them to focus on the party instead of the parents’ continuing arguments. Genny’s brother Mac agrees to help, but her sister Kim spends much of her time alone and is more reluctant to help with the celebration. Throughout the story, Genny shares her conce