Customer Reviews

Baby

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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...

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!

Baby by Patricia MacLachlan is a great book that keeps you guessing until the end. Although it is sad, this book is exciting. Set on an island off of the coast of Maine. Larkin and Lalo find Sophie in an unusual way. Sophie, a baby, was left on a beach in a basket with only a small note to tell why. Larkin and her family are unsure if and when Sophie's mother will be back. If you like a book about any kind of mystery or puzzles Baby is the book for you.
Baby is a must read book everyone should read. This tale is sad, exciting and thrilling. Baby is an exciting book because they found a baby on the beach with just a small note. Sadness is at the heart when family members are lost. Finally Larkin and her family name the one-day-old brother William. This book is thrilling because Sophie remembers Larkin and her family after ten years. Baby is the right book for you if you like books with happy endings.
Children of all ages should read Patricia MacLachlan's books. Patricia lives in Williamsurg, Massachusetts. Patricia was born on a prairie and till this day she carries a bag of prairie dirt with her wherever she goes to remind her of what she first knew first. Sarah Plain and Tall won a Newbery Medal in 1985 and her writing still continues to be outstanding. As you can see Baby by Patricia MacLachlan is an excellent book for all readers.

Larkin, a 12 year old girl and her family had a baby on their doorstep. Sophie (the baby) got fed, bathed, and paid for clothes by the whole neighborhood. She lived with them for about a year and then something happened. Read the best book called "Baby" to find out what happens. I recommed this book for people who like to cry, and because it is a great book. My favorite part was during Christmas when Larkin's dad was putting up the tree and, he said a bad word that Sophie heard, and she said it when she was done.

I cried almost continuously through this book. It's not heavy on plot--you know what's going to happen from page one--but the emotional experience kept me reading. I loved the characters and their quirks almost immediately (the tap-dancing dad was the highlight), and the setting lent a harmony to the story that would have been lost for me elsewhere. MacLachlan surely knew the pain that she wrote about. And her book helped me feel it, too.

I read this book several years ago - I wanted to read it before giving it to my daughter, and I'm so glad I did. This story has stayed with me more than any other - more than Jane Eyre or Tess of the d'Urbervilles or Middlemarch. It took hold of my heart in a very intense way. Since I couldn't stop thinking about it, I decided to read Amazon reviews! It's nice to know the book has touched so many people. One thing strikes me, though: No one said anything about the strained relationship between Larkin and her mother. When the baby died, Larkin not only lost a sibling, but her mother, too. When you loose someone you deeply love, you wonder how people through the centuries have survived that kind of sorrow. Could they possibly have felt their grief as deeply as you feel yours? How did they endure it? How do millions every day endure it? "Loosing" someone who is still alive can hurt just as deeply. As a mother, when I saw how little Larkin's heart was breaking, mine broke, too. Thank you Patricia MacLachlan for this wonderful story. Now can we see about putting it in the adult section of the library?

BABY

Baby is written by the author Patricia McLachlan, who has also written and won the Newberry Medal for Sarah, Plain and Tall in 1986. She has also written many other astonishing books including Baby and Sarah, Plain and Tall. Some of the books that I would recommend are Skylark and Journey.
I would rate this book as a 4 because it can be sad and really good at the same time.
People who enjoy reading Fantasy books will absolutely LOVE this book.
Twelve-year-old Larkin (the main character) and her friend Lalo find a basket on the sidewalk with a note by it. The note tells them who the baby is and that they have to look after one-year-old Sophie until the mother comes back to get her. Sophie gets attached to her new family and will not let go. Larkin's father tells her not to get attached to Sophie and don't love her. Will she end up loving Sophie? Read the book to find out.

when i read this book, I thought man how can Patricia Maclachlan write like this. It was an outstanding book. I finished it in a couple of days. I still pick it up and read it as a adult. I think this story inspires many familys that went through Larkin's problem. I recommend this book to people who want to read an excellent book and feel like you want to read it again.

I really enjoyed this book. I had read Cassie Binegar loved it also. I found the family in the story, totally loveable. The heroine and hero were sweet and very much like real people. I also loved the poetry that weaves itself in and out of the story.

I loved this book so much that when I finished it I read it over again. That I think is the best thing a person can say!