good

A good plot and storyline of real life in the olden times. It is a sad and bittersweet ending but with very good morals. ( )

I have generally enjoyed Avi's historical novels, but this one didn't grab me much. It is barely more than a short story, and none of the few characters in it are very three-dimensional.
Ben, the youngest of three children of a widower, is the only child sent off to school in a pioneer-era story. But as the book opens, he is brought back home because his father has taken ill, perhaps a severe stroke, and he is to come home to help his older brother and sister. Ben convinces himself that their father, who can't talk, or hardly even move, wants them to build a barn on their property. After convincing his siblings that they need to do so, Ben has a single-minded determination to see the task finished. ( )

I found this book difficult to read. The 9 year old main character comes home from boarding school to find his father a shell of his former self due to a stroke. This hit a little close to home for me. I wasn't a big fan of the whole thing, but the last chapter (actually just a paragraph) still brought tears to my eyes. A 3 star book, but that ending raised it up another notch to 4 stars. ( )

Ben, a nine year old boy,attends a boarding school. But while away at school Ben's father becomes ill. Ben's older brother and sister send for him to come home to their Oregon homestead. The family needs Ben's help.chh