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When Betsy Ward's family moves to Ohio from Connecticut in 1803, she brings along a sockful of coins to buy sheep so that she can gather wool, spin cloth, and make clothes to keep her children warm.

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3 reviews
Based upon the true life story of pioneer woman Betsy Ward who was the first to own sheep in an obscure village in Randolph Township, Ohio.

Living in a warm, well-lit house, surrounded by wonderful books and personal items, it is difficult to imagine the hard life of pioneers. Living in cabins where the wind whips through the clay between the logs, where hard work is a supreme necessity, and where the family unit hopes fate does not deal a cruel blow, somehow, these brave people survived.

With last year's clothes patched and thread bare, the mother saved coins to purchase sheep. Because wolves killed two, the sheep then lived in the cabin with the family. Even so, of the eight original, only three survived. One, a ewe, gave birth to lambs show more which then grew to have more lambs. Eventually, the mother was able to make wool into clothes.

While the story is simple, the illustrations are lovely.
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Story of a settler family surviving in their new home in Ohio during a bitter winter. Based loosely on the true story of the Ward family. Wonderful story that illustrates the importance of hard work and skills required for survival during the period.
46 months - Thought this would be a good read to follow a Little House book. Based on a true story of pioneer hardship.

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Author Information

Picture of author.
44+ Works 1,828 Members
Scott Russell Sanders has won more than a dozen major honors, and his more than twenty books include novels, stories, and essays. He and his wife make their home in the hardwood hill country of southern Indiana. Find out more at scottrussellsanders.com.

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Common Knowledge

Important places
Ohio, USA

Classifications

Genre
Children's Books
DDC/MDS
813.69Literature & rhetoricAmerican literature in EnglishAmerican fiction in English2000-
LCC
PZ7 .S19786 .WLanguage and LiteratureFiction and juvenile belles lettresFiction and juvenile belles lettresJuvenile belles lettres
BISAC

Statistics

Members
210
Popularity
155,064
Reviews
3
Rating
(4.00)
Languages
English
Media
Paper
ISBNs
5