Patricia MacLachlan is one of my favorite authors for young readers. If you have a soft spot for animals, you'll enjoy her stories even more. Family relationships (pets included) are portrayed with precise language that will lead you to recognize the true, good, and beautiful (magic included:) ...
A total gem! This is the perfect read-aloud to share with a class of primary students to talk about writing - stories and poetry. Patricia MacLachlan slips into the role of an author who spends time with a class of fourth grade students to help them hear the "whispered words", i.e. to help them f...
Probably 3rd grade and up, simple language, lots of white space on each page. High interest. Jake’s 88-year old grandfather Billy lives on the family farm with Jake’s family. Billy’s memory is clearly fading (at least to the adult reader) but gently and kindly and Jake is comfortable with his g...
White Fur FlyingPatricia MacLachlanDog lovers beware, this book will get you hooked. White Fur Flying is a good read for that budding dog lover who needs a chapter book but isn’t quite ready for the older intermediate level. Zoe’s family rescues dogs and there are always dogs to be rescued. But i...
This is a quiet little book that shines and shines. Robby is staying with his grandmother over the summer. She's a little eccentric but stable. Robby's parents are world-famous musicians and touring abroad, leaving Robby adrift, emotionally.The real star of this book is Robby's dog, Ellie. Sh...
Combining a great illustrator and fantastic writer give the reader a delightful experience.Kellogg's interpretations provide strong support of the text. His trademark characters and style are evident, but there is a new depth to the colors and details.Would be a wonderful book to prompt discussio...
As the sun streamed through the window this morning, I took this book off the shelf and spent delightful time reading another of MacLachlan's lovely books.This author has a special way of softly unfolding the story. I've read most of the books of this Newbery award winning author and she never fa...
Have you ever owned a puppy? If you have, you'll understand this book completely. If you haven't, you may decide on a fish instead. In 14 poems, the authors capture the personalities of puppies perfectly.What I thought: Dog poems! How great is that? I'm a dog owner/lover and I loved this collecti...
As Nora’s tough adjustment to life on an American prairie ensues she discovers she needs a friend. Even though her mother tries to do all she can to help Nora remember Russia, Nora needs something to call her own. One day, her father brings home some chicks for Nora to care for and through the ca...
Cat Talk is a children’s poetry book with beautiful illustrations. There are 13 poems in this book, and all poems are told by 13 different cats’ viewpoints. All of the cats in the book are very unique, and they find their meaning in humans’ lives. In this book, readers can also find typical cats’...
This is the third book in the Sarah, Plain and Tall series. It focuses on Caleb, the son of Jacob Witting, the stepson of Sarah, the younger brother of Anna and the older brother of Cassie. It starts out with his sister, Anna, giving him a journal to write down what happens on the farm and the ...
"I suppose that's what writing is for...To change life and make it come out the way you want it to." ―Grandfather's Dance, P. 58 After careful consideration, I'm rounding my three-and-a-half star rating for Grandfather's Dance up instead of down, easily the highest mark that I've given to an...
Baby is a story about a family that receives a baby at their home one day. The mother left a note explaining that her name is Sophie, she is almost a year old and she is good. The family grew to love Sophie, even though the father and Larkin were hesitant to getting close with the baby, they did....
I read 'Sarah, Plain and Tall' last year, and enjoyed the simple story of a young woman and the family who falls in love with her. At that time, I did not realise that there were other books about Sarah, Jacob, Anna, and Caleb. I'm so glad I happened across the fact that this was a series. I real...
I really think that this is the best one of the first four Sarah, Plain and Tall books. Patricia MacLachlan carefully rations out her writing for the limited space given to this story and tells it beautifully, with even more engaging emotion than is to be found in the first three books. Few autho...
"There is a joy...in creating surprising insight into a character. The characters in my books become, for me, good friends, extended family members, or the brothers and sisters I never had. Books affect lives, especially children's lives, because children have a genuine belief in the truth of sto...
"There is often...no room for perfection in an imperfect world." —Imelda, The Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt, P. 86 If Patricia MacLachlan's name weren't printed on the cover of this book, I can't say that I'd have been likely to be able to identify her as the author just from the writing....
Like Patricia MacLachlan's other books this is short and sweet. It's only 56 pages, so anyone could easily read it in less than an hour. The book is cute but not memorable. Emma is a likable main character, however all of the characters seemed pretty flat to me, but what can you do in 56 pages? ...