Cassie spends her days watching Grandfather and Caleb in the barn, looking out at Papa working the fields, spying on her mother, Sarah, feeding the goslings. She's an observer, a writer, a storyteller. Everything is as it should be.

But change is inevitable, even on the prairie. Something new is expected, and Sarah says it will be the perfect gift. Cassie isn't so sure. But just as life changes, people change too. And Cassie learns that unexpected surprises can bring great joy.

Cassie is now eight, living with her parents, brother Caleb, and Grandfather. It's now her turn to keep a journal, and in it she adds a little fiction to their lives, as well as her hopes and dreams, and worries when Mama suddenly needs more sleep and doesn't feel well.

Adult readers will figure out pretty quickly that Sarah is pregnant, and much of the story is Cassie not wanting a new baby in the house. Another quick, generally comforting read in the series from Newbery-award winning MacLachlan. It didn't quite have the sparkle of [Sarah, Plain and Tall] and [Skylark], but it's a solid read. ( )

More satisfactory ending. Lovely writing, great characters. Short, very short, but good though! ( )

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Cassie is now narrating and is a much more lyrical and imaginative writer than her elder half-siblings. The family is about to expand again because Sarah is pregnant and Cassie is not sure she's happy about that.
An easily readable novel for juveniles with life lessons and an historical perspective. ( )