Read Alouds

Farmer Boy was about the life of Almonzo Wilder. He was a busy boy on a busy farm. This was a very detailed account and I found it interesting that he was always thinking about food. No wonder, he worked hard from before sunup to sundown. And the amount of food he ate was beyond my comprehension.







The Courage of Sarah Noble was the story of a girl who went with her father to cook for him as he built a house for the family. When the house was done, the girl had to stay with some indians until her father returned with the rest of the family.








Sarah Whitcher's Story is suppose to be true. A young girl wanders off and gets lost in the woods. She finds refuge with a bear (whom she mistakenly thinks is her big furry watchdog from home) Attempts to find her are futile until a stranger comes, who has had a dream revealing her whereabouts. Thanks are given to God, because He has answered their prayers through this stranger.








On the Banks of Plum Creek is about the Ingalls family's life on the open plains. When they first arrive, they move into an underground house. In time, a house is built and pa hopes to make money with the crops he grows. Laura and her sisters have a lot of fun and adventures.
Hard times do come though, storms and locusts (angry grasshoppers), and discouragement, and pa has to go miles away for work because the crops have failed.




Sarah, Plain and Tall surprised me. I had heard of it, but never read it. Didn't even know what it was about. Starts out sad. The mom had died and the dad has put out an ad for a new wife, someone to raise the children. Sarah answers the ad and moves a long way from her home to come and see if she is up to the task. Well, the children love her and want her to stay, but are unsure if she will stay. Sarah has a love for the sea (where she came from) and wonders if she will be happy so far from it.





Mountain Born was my favorite. I love stories about sheep and shepherds. Life raising sheep was vividly portrayed in these pages and the relationship between the boy and his special lamb, Biddy, I found very touching.









In Grandma's Attic is full of life lessons told to a granddaughter. In each short chapter, a wise old grandmother shares the mistakes she's made growing up to the delight of the listener.







I've enjoyed reading these books to my children this year. Of course, I won't stop reading during the summer. We may go back to reading The Boxcar Children books that we started last summer.