By Robet Newton Peck
(2001) ISBN 0394482352
We meet Rob, full name Robert Peck, as he has struggled again to live with the ways of the Shaker holdings of his family. How he longs to let go and light into a classmate who ridicules him. Rob in handling the situation by leaving school in mid-morning encounters a situation that will bring about some good changes in his life and routine. When Rob comes to the aid of a neighbor’s cow, he is rewarded with his own piglet who he raises in the hopes that she will become a brood sow and bring some financial relief to his family’s standing. After becoming fond of Pinky, the pig, Rob finds that he must endure some of the pain of growing up as he realizes that he need to place the survival of his family above that of his beloved pet. This is a touching and well-told story. This is a recommended work for introducing young readers to the realities of farming with its hardships, its joys and the feelings of accomplishment that are a natural part of that style of life. The recounting of farming life and the way that children cope with its aspects reminds one of the children’s life in the Laura Ingalls Wilder books although not as cheerful a tale. This book deals more with the progression into adulthood than did the Little House in the Big Woods.
No comments:
Post a Comment