Sarah, Plain and Tall

Title: Sarah, Plain and Tall
Author: Patricia MacLachlan
Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: Newbery Medal Winner (1986), Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee (1986-1987)
Grade Level: 2-3

Set in the late 1800s American Midwest, Anna and Caleb longed for a mother. Their widowed father, Jacob, placed an advertisement to find a new wife. Sarah from Maine replies and they exchange letters. In the spring, Sarah decides to visit for a month and see if living away from her home by the sea is worth it. Anna and Caleb are afraid that their potential stepmother will not like living in the prairies with them and would want to return home because she is homesick. They anxiously look for signs that she wants to stay. Unlike many women of her time, Sarah was independent, wore overalls, learned to drive the wagon, and helped fix the roof. Despite the children's worries, Sarah ultimately decided to stay because she would miss her new family more than her old home. A relatively short chapter book, the story is straightforward and simple enough for younger readers. The story compares and contrasts life on the East Coast to the Midwest so students can make a chart of what can be found in both areas. Students can also look at how gender roles and life in the late 19th century differs from the present day.

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