A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840

by Barbara Greenwood

Overview

In an unusual blend of fiction and nonfiction, A Pioneer Sampler chronicles one year in the lives of the Robinson family. Illustrated historical notes enlarge on the social history and describe activities related to the stories, from churning butter to predicting the weather. Young readers are invited to try their hand at these tasks to experience a bit of pioneer life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780395883938
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/30/1998
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	701,409
Product dimensions:	7.88(w) x 9.12(h) x (d)
Lexile:	900L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Barbarba Greenwood worked at a historical museum churning butter, spinning thread, and embroidering cloth before writing A Pioneer Sampler.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Laura Ingalls Wilder meets David Macaulay in this thoroughly engaging book." Publishers Weekly, Starred

Editorial Reviews

"Laura Ingalls Wilder meets David Macaulay in this thoroughly engaging book." Publishers Weekly, Starred —

From the Publisher

Slaughtering hogs, making butter and telling time by the sun are all chronicled in the life of a pioneer family. PW said in a starred review: "As a resource, it's a must-have for anyone with even the remotest interest in this period of American history." Ages 8-12. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 5-8-Greenwood introduces the fictional Robertsons and, through the family's activities, describes the details of everyday life on the frontier circa 1840. This mix of story and information makes the book a natural for use in whole-language classrooms. Report writers in traditional programs will find useful facts and diagrams tucked in between the fictional segments. Food, clothing, schooling, social life, household equipment, building, and more are covered in the wide-ranging text. The detailed black-and-white drawings are both decorative and informative. Edwin Tunis covers a wider range of topics in Frontier Living (Crowell, 1976) for a slightly older audience. For younger readers, Raymond Bial's Frontier Home (Houghton, 1993) has a narrower focus; his full-color photographs of actual (and reproduced) artifacts add interest. Where pioneer living is part of the curriculum and for readers fascinated by the time period, Greenwood's title will be a welcome and useful addition.-Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA

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