Sarah, Plain and Tall

Title: Sarah, Plain and Tall
Author: Patricia MacLachlan
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: Newbery Award winner

Teacher Evaluation: I love this story. It was very interesting and a pretty easy read for 5th-6th graders. I think it is a great book to do a read aloud with in class, but it also has an interesting message since they found Sarah through an Ad in the newspaper. I would read it but also make a lesson about life and how to be truly happy out of the lesson. 

Summary: This story is about a Family searching for their mom. They live in the country with their father. They are very isolated because their neighbors are so far away by wagon. Anna and Caleb's mother died when giving birth to Caleb. Caleb always asks Anna about having a mom and Anna feels so bad when that happens. Their dad then puts an ad in the newspaper looking for a mom. A woman from Maine replies. Sarah loves Maine but she wants a home of her own. Anna Caleb and her father write to Sarah and she replies saying that she will come to see then for a month in the Spring. Sarah also sends a book that Caleb becomes obsessed with about Maine. Anna is worried that Sarah may not come because she does not want Caleb to be sad. Sarah comes in visit and she wrote a letter about Plain and Tall. She loves to sing, and Caleb becomes very attached to her as his mom. Caleb also begins to worry that Sarah may leave. Sarah is homesick from Maine. Sarah gets close with a women named Maggie, and she wants her to go and visit her. Papa teaches Sarah to drive their wagon, so she can go to visit Maggie. But Caleb is scared she won't come back. When Sarah leaves Caleb and Anna are so worried that they will not return, but thankfully she does. She brings them pencils, so they can draw the ocean. She decides to stay and become a part of their family. They also get married. 

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