This is a real gem of a book. It's only a slim volume - just a shade over 100 pages - but this is history speaking. The book is exactly what it says on the cover - a diary of an early American boy. Sloane stumbled upon an old diary, written by a boy called Noah Blake in 1805. He then wrote the book around the diary, many extracts of which are included as part of the book. It's the story of a teenage boy working on his father's New England farm while falling in love with a girl from a neighbouring farm. The author is also a talented artist and lover of Americana - the book has lots of illustrations which help explain a lot of the tools, buildings and other things in the story that you would find on an early nineteenth century farm. A joy to read. ( )

This is a boy's book. Noah Blake helps his father transform their farm from a rustic niche carved out of the woods (1790) into a complex of buildings, machines, and tools which change the face of the countryside (1805). The author provides detailed drawings of the handcrafts and methods used in their work. ( )

Excellent, very informative, we wish it continued! ( )