Sarah Plain and Tall

Sarah Plain and Tall

Written by: Patricia MacLachlan

"Set in the late 19th century a widowed midwestern farmer with two children--Anna and Caleb--advertises for a wife. When Sarah arrives she is homesick for Maine, especially for the ocean which she misses greatly. The children fear that she will not stay, and when she goes off to town alone, young Caleb--whose mother died during childbirth--is stricken with the fear that she has gone for good. But she returns with colored pencils to illustrate for them the beauty of Maine, and to explain that, though she misses her home, "the truth of it is I would miss you more." The tale gently explores themes of abandonment, loss and love."

Amazon.com Review

Online Resources:
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/reading3/sarah.htm

Rifles for Waite

Rifles for Waite

Written by: Keith Harold

"Sixteen-year-old Jeff is eager to join the Union Army and fight in Civil War battles in the West against Stand Watie, leader of the Cherokee Indian rebels. The book stresses cultural as well as sectional conflict."

Online Resources:
http://www.civilwar.org/education/teachers/lesson-plans/civil-war-lit-circle-lesson/civil-war-literature-circle.html

Johnny Tremain

Johnny Tremain

Written by: Ester Forbes

"A story filled with danger and excitement, Johnny Tremain tells of the turbulent, passionate times in Boston just before the Revolutionary War. Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up in a dramatic involvement with James Otis, John Hancock,and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting currents and undercurrents that were to lead to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington -- and finally, a touching resolution of Johnny's personal life.

Johnny Tremain is a historical fiction at its best, portraying Revolutionary Boston as a living drama, through the shrewd eyes of an observant boy."

Publisher's Description

Online Resources:
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/Tremain/tremaintg.html