Overview

""The Wynns are an unforgettable family. The details of their struggle to survive the Great Depression will linger long after the last page has been read.""-Ann M. Martin, winner of the Newbery Honor for A Corner of the Universe A stunning debut novel about the true meaning of home Sadie Wynn doesn't want a new life; her old one suits her just fine. But times are hard in drought-plagued Missouri, and Daddy thinks they'll be better off in Texas. Sadie hates this strange new place, where even children must work at the cannery to help make ends meet and people are rude to her disabled father. Yet when trouble comes, it is the kindness of these new neighbors that helps the family make it through. And no one helps more than Dollie, a red-headed chatterbox of a girl who just might become a good friend-if Sadie gives her half a chance. The Truth About Sparrows is a 2005 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

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9780312371333

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Reviews

[A] deeply affecting story . . . Hale's evocative, sure prose . . . brings alive the setting and the family's survival challenges with cinematic detail that's reminiscent of the Little House books. --Booklist, starred review What could have been just another surviving-the-Depression story is, instead a beautifully realized work, memorable for its Gulf Coast setting and the luminous voice of Sadie Wynn. An important addition to the genre from a new voice. --Kirkus Reviews Hale has created a character with a strong, lyrical voice. She describes the coastal area so vividly that Sparrows is a breath of fresh air even when it brings tears to your eyes. --USA Today [T]riumphant and memorable, as is her entire family--who not only endure the Depression but emerge stronger from it. --The Horn Book

[A] deeply affecting story . . . Hale's evocative, sure prose . . . brings alive the setting and the family's survival challenges with cinematic detail that's reminiscent of the Little House books. --Booklist, starred review What could have been just another surviving-the-Depression story is, instead a beautifully realized work, memorable for its Gulf Coast setting and the luminous voice of Sadie Wynn. An important addition to the genre from a new voice. --Kirkus Reviews Hale has created a character with a strong, lyrical voice. She describes the coastal area so vividly that Sparrows is a breath of fresh air even when it brings tears to your eyes. --USA Today [T]riumphant and memorable, as is her entire family--who not only endure the Depression but emerge stronger from it. --The Horn Book

The Wynnes are an unforgettable family. The details of their struggle to survive the Great Depression will linger long after the last page has been read. --Ann M. Martin, winner of the Newbery Honor for A Corner of the Universe <br> Triumphant and memorable. -- The Horn Book Magazine <br> The realistic characters and geographical setting are skillfully portrayed in an engaging narrative that is faithful to an adolescent girl's point of view. This book will be useful for leisure reading or as a supplemental history reading. -- Voices of Youth Advocates <br> Rich with social history, this first novel is informative, enjoyable, and evocative. -- School Library Journal <br> An excellent choice for class discussion, this captures the difficult specifics of an era, while asking larger questions about what it means to leave a life behind and start again. -- Booklist <br> The characters are believable and engaging and the plot is intriguing to the point it is hard to put down. The Truth About Sparrows is for ages 10 and up--even adults will find it an irresistible story. -- Armchair Interviews

Author Information

Marian Hale is the author of acclaimed historical novels for young adults including Dark Water Rising and The Goodbye Season. She lives with her husband, daughter, and grandbabies on the Texas Coast.

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