As often happened on the prairie in the early frontier days, a wife and mother died and the father was left with small children without good care. A respectable custom of the day was to put an advertisement into the papers for a replacement as there were few unmarried eligible women in the sparsely populated frontier towns. People were practical and immediate needs were to be met. Sarah responds to the ad and comes on a trial basis. Will she be able to leave her beloved seacoast town and embrace this new family? Written in simple language and style and from the viewpoint of the lonely children longing for a mother. ( )

A truly beautiful book! This story of a widower with two young children rings true in every aspect: conversations between the siblings, the feelings of their father, and the reactions of the woman who comes on a one-month-trial, then stays. . . all these resonate as you read. Written for children it has universal appeal. ( )

Sarah Plain and Tall is a book that deals with a broken family that consists of two children and their father. The mother has passed away, and the family is now struggling to deal with it. In the story, the father posts a personal ad in the paper for a new wife. A woman named Sarah responds and comes to live with the family. They all begin to learn from each other, and they all realize that they need each other very much.

This is one of my favorite stories from elementary school. I loved the descriptive details that made me feel as if I had experienced everything myself. I think this is also a great book for children who are dealing with a broken family as well; perhaps they can relate to the children in the story.

This would be a great book to incorporate into a historical fiction unit. After reading the story, an assignment can be given that calls for the students to do a compare and contrast. They can compare and contrast the time era that was described in the story, to the world that we live in now.

Summary: Sarah, Plain and Tall is a book about a dad and his daughter and son. The mother died right after the son was born and now the dad is looking for a new wife. He puts an ad in the newspaper and receives a letter in the mail from Sarah. They send letters back and forth for awhile, and so do the children. Sarah comes to stay with them for awhile to see how she likes it and she never leaves.
Personal Reaction: This is a rather strange book but is interesting as well.
Classroom Reaction: Could be used during a history lesson

Caleb and Anna hope that the mail-order bride who comes from Maine to their prairie home will stay. This book is good for a 3rd grader. ( )