Author (last name first):
Lowry, Lois
Publisher, Date of Publication:
Scholastic INC./2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level:
2nd-5th
Eleven year-old Amelia Pierce and her older brother, Daniel, are sent to live in the Shaker community at Sabbath-day Lake, ME, after her parents die in the 1918 Spanish influenza epidemic. Lydia must become accustomed to living, working, and learning with the Shakers and other abandoned children cared for at the settlement. However, Daniel runs away, and after a hard cold winter comes back to live out his life with the Shakers. Lydia worries about him throughout the story; her time with the Shakers is marked by a sense of acceptance and appreciation for what she has. The book covers just six months of the children's lives. Lydia grows and changes, but her learning is slow and subtle, as she learns to let go of her sorrow and appreciate the simple joys in life. There are pages of historical notes and photographs at the end of the book. These notes are particularly useful in clarifying which parts of the story is real and which are fiction. This book would be great for children who are learning about the Shaker community in the 1900s. This book is definitely a page turner I had trouble putting it down. It was very interesting learning about the differences between the common knowledge about the Quaker community and then comparing it to the Shaker community. There is a AR test available for this book.
Reviewed By: Lila Davis (Night Circulation Manager in the Moffett Library at Midwestern State University)
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