The document provides background information about author Patricia MacLachlan and summarizes her book "Sarah, Plain and Tall". It discusses the setting of the American prairie in the 19th century. The story follows Anna and Caleb Witting who place an ad for a wife after their father becomes widowed. Sarah arrives from Maine to visit and the children hope she will overcome her homesickness to become part of their family. The document also outlines vocabulary words used in the story and suggests post-reading activities and discussion questions.

1. Sarah, Plain and Tall Patricia MacLachlan Presenter: Cindy

2. Meet the author Summary of Sarah, Plain and Tall Setting Main characters Point of view Vocabulary Post-reading activities Theatre works Question for discussion Outlines

3. Meet the Author Patricia MacLachlan is the bestselling author of beloved books for young readers , including Arthur, For the Very First Time (1987), winner of the Golden Kite Award for fiction; The Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt (1988); and Sarah, Plain and Tall (1985), winner of the 1986 Newbery Medal , as well as its sequels, Skylark (1994) , Caleb’s Story (2001) , and More Perfect Than the Moon (2004).

4. Meet the Author Her picture books include Three Names (1991) , All the Places to Love (1994), What You Know First (1995), and Once I Ate a Pie , and Painting the Wind , which she coauthored with her daughter, Emily.

5. Summary Anna and Caleb Witting live on a prairie farm with their widowed father who advertises for a wife. Sarah arrives from Maine to visit for a month with her cat named Seal, and a few reminders of her beloved sea, which she shares with the children. The Wittings hope she will overcome her homesickness and become part of their family.

7. Setting Place : The story is set somewhere on the great American prairie (a large, grassy, and treeless area) at a time when horses still served as the major mode of transportation. Time : It takes place in the nineteenth century.

8. Main Characters Anna : a young girl, the narrator of the story Caleb : Anna’s younger brother Sarah : A woman from Maine who answers an ad to be a wife and mother Jacob : Anna and Caleb’s father Maggie : a neighbor of Jacob’s family who befriends Sarah Matthew : Maggie’s husband, a friend of Jacob’s Rose : a young daughter of Maggie and Matthew Violet : a young daughter of Maggie and Matthew

9. Point of View The point of view is the eldest child’s, Anna’s , throughout the book, although the narration is delivered in the 3 rd person. Anna is a reticent young lady. She takes after her father, who does not verbalize his feelings often. The reader is thus forced to interpret how Anna feels about things based upon her reactions to the events of the story , particularly her reactions to her voluble little brother’s many questions and concerns. Caleb, unlike Anna, is always ready to voice his emotions, particularly his fears about Sarah leaving them.

10. Vocabulary Windbreak Rustle Alarmed Paddock Conch Glossary (Appendix p. 47-48)

11. windbreak Row of trees used to block the wind

12. rustle Soft sounds made by things rubbing together

13. alarmed Frightened or worried

14. paddock Fenced-in piece of land usually used for grazing horses

15. Conch conch the spiral-shaped shell of a marine animal

16. Fill in the blanks: I was __________ when the stranger pounded on the door. The ____________ of pine trees kept me from getting too cold. There was a beautiful _________ that washed up along the shore. The __________ of leaves in the fall is very soothing. The horse and pony grazed together in the _____________________. windbreak rustle alarmed paddock conch

17. Post-reading activities Hangman Go For the Grammar Gold – More about Nouns

18. Theatre works (USA) Sarah , Plain and Tall-- The Musical. http:// www.sarahplainandtall.net /

19. Question for Discussion Why is Anna uncomfortable around Caleb? Why does she associate him with her mother’s death? Is it fair that she thinks of her mother’s death when she thinks of Caleb?

20. Thank you!