Baby [Paperback]

Patricia MacLachlan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1995

Larkin's family welcomes Sophie into their home, caring for her and teaching her games and new words. They come to love this baby as their own, all the while knowing that eventually Sophie's mother will return one day to take her from them.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

PW described this story of a family that takes in an abandoned baby as "lean and lyrical," adding that the Newbery Medalist "gracefully entwines past and present." All ages.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Baby refers to two characters in this beautifully written and moving novel-12-year-old Larkin's infant brother (who has died before the story begins) and Sophie, who is literally left in a basket in the driveway at Larkin's house. The girl's parents and Byrd, her grandmother, have been hiding their grief over their baby's death behind a wall of silence. Letting themselves love Sophie, even though they know her mother will eventually come back for her, helps them break through the barrier. When Sophie's mother does return, they are ready to mourn for the dead infant -and to give him a name. The final chapter, which takes place 10 years later, shows Sophie returning to the island for Byrd's funeral. A sense of peace and completion mark this occasion. With simple elegance, MacLachlan relates her tale about memory, love, loss, risk, and (most of all) about the power of language. Especially impressive is her ability to invest the simplest human actions and physical events with emotion and love. While the plot could never be called surefire in its appeal, and some of the happenings strain believability, the story is one that is deeply felt.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (August 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440411459
• ISBN-13: 978-0440411451
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.4 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #60 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > Orphans & Foster Homes
  • #75 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > New Baby
  • #81 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > General

More About the Author

Patricia MacLachlan was born on the prairie, and to this day carries a small bag of prairie dirt with her wherever she goes to remind her of what she knew first. She is the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb's Story; and Three Names, illustrated by Mike Wimmer. She lives in western Massachusetts.

In Her Own Words..."One thing I've learned with age and parenting is that life comes in circles. Recently, I was having a bad time writing. I felt disconnected. I had moved to a new home and didn't feel grounded. The house, the land was unfamiliar to me. There was no garden yet. Why had I sold my old comfortable 1793 home? The one with the snakes in the basement, mice everywhere, no closets. I would miss the cold winter air that came in through the electrical sockets."

"I had to go this day to talk to a fourth-grade class, and I banged around the house, complaining. Hard to believe, since I am so mild mannered and pleasant, isn't it? What did I have to say to them? I thought what I always think when I enter a room of children. What do I know?"

"I plunged down the hillside and into town, where a group of fourth-grade children waited for me in the library, freshly scrubbed, expectant. Should I be surprised that what usually happens did so? We began to talk about place, our living landscapes. And I showed them my little bag of prairie dirt from where I was born. Quite simply, we never got off the subject of place. Should I have been so surprised that these young children were so concerned with place, or with the lack of it, their displacement? Five children were foster children, disconnected from their homes. One little boy's house had burned down, everything gone. 'Photographs, too,' he said sadly. Another told me that he was moving the next day to place he'd never been. I turned and saw the librarian, tears coming down her face."

"'You know,' I said. 'Maybe I should take this bag of prairie dirt and toss it into my new yard. I'll never live on the prairie again. I live here now. The two places could mix together that way!' 'No!' cried a boy from the back. 'Maybe the prairie dirt will blow away!' And then a little girl raised her hand. 'I think you should put that prairie dirt in a glass bowl in your window so that when you write you can see it all the time. So you can always see what you knew first.'"

"When I left the library, I went home to write. What You Know First owes much to the children of the Jackson Street School: the ones who love place and will never leave it, the ones who lost everything and have to begin again. I hope for them life comes in circles, too."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book I won't forget, January 28, 2003

By 

"tds459" (Whitehorse Yukon, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baby (Paperback)

I often pick up and read my 9 year old daughter's books, and am rarely moved by what I read. This book however will stay with me always. The first chapter had me hooked, with a surprisingly textured cast of warm, unusual characters. Extremely engaging, even within the first few lines. The family danced off the pages, and their struggles rang true. No gloss, just real stuff. Lucky young readers who are encouraged to befriend these characters.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great for teens, adults, and secondary teachers..., July 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Baby (Hardcover)

This book came highly reccomended to me from middle school teachers from across the country at a recent conference. I am a critical reader that is not easily impressed. The book had me in tears.

On the surface, it is the story of Larkin and her family who live on an island frequented by vacationers in the summer and the baby, Sophie, who is left on their doorstep. Beneath this story, lies truths about the power of words and their ability to help us to heal from even the most horrific tragedy.

As Sophie, a darling one-year-old, learns to speak, sing, and dance, the family learns to speak about the tragedy that shattered their lives. I read the first two chapters to my class of inner-city seventh-graders and had them clamoring to read the rest on their own. I read it to my seven-year-old son and he relished every moment.
A perfect book....also beautifully written...like poetry...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written treasure to read with your child, December 4, 1999

By 

Teresa Allen (Shreveport, Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baby (Hardcover)

This is one of the most beautifully written children's books I have ever read. The story is a very emotional one that touches your heart. As a parent, I would recommend reading it with your child so that you can explain some of the meaning that may not be immediately evident to a young reader. Be sure to have a box of kleenex handy and Enjoy!