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The School at Crooked Creek
Set in the Indiana frontier in 1820, Beansie
protests having to attend the crowded one-room schoolhouse and makes
his case that he'd rather spend his time in the wild outdoors, but
after just one day, Beansie becomes enlightened and looks forward to
the many things he will come to learn in the years ahead.
From the Publisher: Beansie loves his free and
simple life with Ma, Pap, and his sister, Louisa, on their Indiana
homestead. But now his parents want him ot go to he new log cabin
school, where he'll be cooped up inside all day. how will he and
Louisa find their way to school and back? How will he and Louisa
find their way to school and back? How will Beansie cope with
rough boys such as Oliver Sweeny, who can outrun, outlick, and
outholler anybody?
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Reviews and Comments:
 "This
short, solid chapter book is set in 1820s rural Indiana. Narrated
by six-year-old Beansie, it tells of his first reluctant experience
with school...The book is rich with colloquial language, superstitions,
and information about this pioneer family. Nicely done shaded, pencil
drawings help set the tone. This novel will work well for
curriculum ties, and may spark interest in the period when read aloud."
-- School Library Journal
"Lawlor's keen eye for the specifics of childhood dread bring the book vividly to life." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Lively writing, abundant details about homestead life, and
old-fashioned words and expressions sprinkled throughout the text make
this a fine introduction to the period as well as a solid story of a
brother and sister learning to help each other feel important." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Set in central Indiana in the 1820s.... It's a folksy, funny portrayal of the time and place." -- Booklist
"[Laurie Lawlor] has obviously researched the way settlers lived, what they ate, and
how schools looked. ... The truth of hardscrabble
existence for early pioneers rings true as the six year old has to help
with chores, hold up his end in not complaining, and learn quickly what
behaviors work to make friends." -- Children's Literature
Cited in The Best Children's Books of the Year (2005 edition) - Selected by the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education.
Cited in "Revisiting the One-Room School," by Gwenyth Swain. Booklinks (March 2005); pgs. 14-17.
The School at Crooked Creek.
Illustrated by Ronald Himler. (2004) Holiday House. ISBN: 082341812. 80 pg. Chapter Book/Historical Fiction. $15.95.
[Other Historical Fiction Books] - [All titles by Lawlor] - [Curriculum Connections - List all titles]
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