Bibliographic information:
MacLachlan, Patricia. Sarah, Plain and Tall. Harper Trophy, 1987. p. 64.
Brief plot description:
Sarah, Plain and Tall is a story about a family living on the prairie, a widow and his two children. Jacob receives a letter from Sarah who saw an ad in the newspaper from Jacob for a wife. The family wants Sarah to come and live with them so they each write her a letter. Jacob goes into town to get Sarah, and Sarah brings gifts for the children. They show Sarah around the farm. Sarah tells the children that she wants to learn how to ride a horse and drive a wagon which the children see as her wanting to leave. A storm comes and they hide in the barn, but Sarah goes back out to save the chickens. Sarah goes into town, and the children become worried that she won’t come back. Will Sarah stay or will see leave the family?
Brief review:
I believe that Sarah, Plain and Tall could be used for the grades of fourth through sixth. With these students the book could be used in a prairie unit or in a family unit. In the prairie unit it could be used as a way to show how men put ads in the paper to get a wife. It also gives a realistic picture of life of the prairie. For a family unit the book could be used to show how a family reacts to another parent joining the family. The main idea is that one can accept a new parent into the family even if they loved their past parent. Although the book is not long it addresses some serious issues in a straightforward manner that students can relate to even with the prairie setting. I felt that this book was very good because of the emphasis it places on the family.
Genre label:
Historical Fiction
Reading level/interest level:
4th- 6th grade
Character names/descriptions:
Jacob - father
Anna - oldest child of Jacob
Caleb - youngest of Jacob’s children
Sarah - a mail order bride
Similar materials in style content, theme or characters:
Skylark, Caleb’s Story, More Perfect Than the Moon, and Grandfather’s Dance by Patricia MacLachlan (Sarah, Plain and Tall Series)
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A Fine Start: Meg’s Prairie Diary, Book 3: Kansas, 1856 by Kate McMullan
Subjects/themes:
Prairie life
Awards:
Newbery Award
New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year
ALA Booklist “Best of the 80s”
Garden State Children’s Book Award, New Jersey
Charlie May Simon Book Award, Arkansas
Christopher Award
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