Published: 2006 Theme: Love and Loss of Grandparents Best for: 6 to 9 "'He can only speak French in my journal,', I said. 'I suppose that's what writing is for,' said Grandfather. 'To change life and make it come out the way you want it to.'" This children's book addresses something so precious - preparing a child for the death of the grandparent. I cry just writing those words. Yet there is nothing maudlin or sad about this children's book. It is exquisite.

Published: 1985 - 2006 Theme: Family life on the Plains Best for: 5 - 8 "Sarah loved the chickens. She clucked back to them and fed them grain. They followed her, shuffling and scratching primly in the dirt. I knew they would not be for eating." What captured me in each children's book of this collection was the emphasis on the emotions and feelings of the people. We live through the eyes of each child in turn...

Published: 2006 Theme: New Baby Best for: 7- 9 "What if Mama is too old to have this baby? What if this terrible baby makes Mama die like Caleb's mama died when he was born? I closed the journal as if shutting away the words would make them go away." The very real fears and emotions of the youngest child towards a new baby are presented with care in book 4 of Sarah, Plain and Tall.

Published: 2001 Theme: Reconciliation Best for: 6 to 8 "They are beautiful, the trees and hills and lakes filled with water. But the prairie is home, the sky so big it takes your breath away, the land like a giant quilt tossed out." A profound exploration of reconciliation between father and son, and forgiveness.

Published: 1994 Theme: Family Life on the Prairie Best for: 6 - 8 "Sarah and I sat in the kitchen. The air was thick with the heat, and there was no breeze. There hadn't been any wind for days. Sarah was writing a letter to the aunts in Maine. I wrote in my journal." In the second of Sarah, Plain and Tall, the family must deal with a serious drought, and separation from each other and the land.