Sarah, Plain and Tall

Author: Patricia MacLachlan
Copyright Date: 1985
Publisher: Harper & Row Junior Books
Number of Pages: 58
Reading Level: Ages 9 & Up
Genre: Fiction

Summary
"Sarah, Plain and Tall" is the story of a family, Jacob (the father) and his two children, Anna and Caleb. After Caleb was born, their mother died. A few years had gone by, and one day Jacob told the children that he put an ad in the paper for a wife. He received a letter from Sarah Wheaton, a woman from Maine. They decide that Sarah will come for a month to see how things go, and then decide if Jacob and Sarah will marry or not. When the children first meet Sarah, they absolutely love her. They go on adventures with her, get to know her, and the sing together. After being there for a while, Sarah wants to learn how to ride a horse and how to drive a wagon. She learns, and one day goes to town by herself. Anna and Caleb are both so worried that Sarah is going to leave them, because she misses the ocean and other things from her home so much. She returns, and Caleb bursts into tears. Anna explains that they were worried she would leave because she missed Maine, and at that she replied, "No... I will always miss my old home, but the truth of it is I would miss you more." At the end of the story, Jacob and Sarah are married, and they all live happily ever after.

Reaction
I loved this book. It's such a beautiful, simple story that I think a lot of people can relate to. It discusses loss, love, fear, adventure, and many other things that will captivate the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Recommendations
I would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially for parents to read this to their children. It's a fun, loving story that will surely touch your heart.

Problems/Conflicts
There weren't too many problems that I could see. For one, the mother dies which is obviously very sad. There's also a large storm, and some more serious issues that parents might not want younger children to be exposed to.