Sarah, Plain and Tall: A Mini Unit

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan is a wonderful story. There is a Hallmark Classics video trilogy to accompany the book as well.

Book Summary:

A widower with two children places a newspaper ad for a wife. A woman from Maine named Sarah answers the ad and comes to see if they would suit. The widower and his children are worried she will miss her home too much and leave them. In the end Sarah convinces them that while she would always miss her old home, she would miss them more.

Vocabulary Words:

dusk
murmur
pungent
hollow
chore
eerie
familiar
collapse
squalls
horrid
whickering
stern
wretched

Discussion Questions and Activities:

1. Anna tells the story that it took three days to lover her new baby brother Caleb. Why?

2. Why do you think it is important to Sarah that the children be able to sing?

3. How does Sarah bring the sea to Papa, Anna, and Caleb?

4. If you were Sarah, would you stay on the farm or go back to Maine?

5. If you have the opportunity to watch the Hallmark video of Sarah, Plain and Tall, discuss the differences between the book and the video.

6. Sarah enjoyed making charcoal drawings and sending them home to Maine. Try your hand at a charcoal or pencil drawing of your home's setting.

7. Study ads that you find in your newspaper today. Do think people still advertise for spouses? Why? What other kinds of things are in newspaper advertisements?

8. The story in the book took place many years ago. Think about the kinds of transportation that they use in the book … wagons, trains, etc. If the story was to happen today, what kind of transportation do you think that would use instead.

9. Find the similarities and the differences between Sarah's old home in Maine and her new home on the farm.

Other Books by Patricia MacLachlan:

Arthur, for the First Time
Cassie Binegar
Unclaimed Treasures
The Sick Day
Through Grandpa's Eyes
Moons, Stars, Frogs, and Friends
Mama One, Mama Two
Tomorrow's Wizard


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