The Bread Winner [Hardcover]

Arvella Whitmore (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

When Sarah's family lose their farm and are forced to move to Shantytown at the height of the Great Depression, Sarah saves them from starvation and complete despair by selling her prize-winning bread.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Pleasant if not entirely persuasive, this novel by the author of You're a Real Hero, Amanda features a heroine who is pluckiness personified. When the family farm is lost during the Depression, Sarah is horrified by the ramshackle hut she and her parents move to and worries when neither lands a new job. But while the adults buckle under the strain, Sarah rallies: before long, she has started a bread business, baking loaves and selling them to appreciative neighbors, eventually enlisting the aid of both parents and, ever resourceful, commandeering a storefront in the center of town. No sissy she, Sarah also fights back against the local bullies and rescues the store's cashbox from a thieving hobo. However, she is a little too good to be true (for example, she voluntarily takes a math test on her first day in a new school because it looks "easy and fun to do"). The setbacks Whitmore throws in are almost formulaic, and Sarah's enthusiasm for baking does not fully emerge. On the other hand, Sarah's reactions to her parents' despair are both convincing and moving, and it's impossible not to admire her never-say-die attitude. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

The Depression and its people come alive in this touching and well-crafted novel. Sarah Ann Puckett thinks her father is joking when, having lost their farm during the Depression, he pulls up to a shabby shack and announces that it is to be their new home. In her new neighborhood and school, Sarah becomes a target for bullies until she learns to fight for her rights and begins to adjust; unfortunately, her father isn't as quick to adapt to his new circumstances. Unable to find work and believing he is a burden to his family, he leaves home to ride the rails, hoping to find employment elsewhere. Sarah's mother takes in laundry but proves unable to support herself and her daughter, and Sarah's breadmaking skills save the day. When her father returns home at last, a thriving bakery is waiting for him. Although it's hard to believe that a child could so determinedly and creatively turn poverty around, the Depression fostered many such scenarios, and they are warming to read. But even more rewarding here is the description of the Depression--the devastating changes in many peoples' lives, how bravely they acted, how generous people could be even in poverty, and how serious life was, even for children. --Susan F. Marcus, Pollard Middle School, Needham, MA
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (October 29, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395537053
• ISBN-13: 978-0395537053
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,630,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bread Winners, February 20, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Bread Winner (Hardcover)

Sarah Goltzman
"The Bread Winners"
Arvella Whitmore
Houghton Mifflin Company
© 1990
Realistic Historical fiction


The Bread Winners

In this book the main characters are Sarah Puckett, Mama (Lucy) and Daddy (Frank). They are very poor. Almost everyone was poor at that time. That is because it was the Depression. Before the Depression they lived in a farm house and they weren't poor. Because of the Depression they had to move to Shantytown. They moved into a shack. Sarah was a smart girl. In her new school she got a 100 on her first test. She was a blue ribbon 1st place baker. She was tough and brave enough to fight bullies and thieves when she was attacked or robbed. She was creative enough to start her own baking business. Mama is a quiet sweet and caring person. She makes sure her family is taken care of but she is always worried about money. Without money they would have to live in the poorhouse which scared them. And daddy was always looking for work but could only find odd jobs which paid very little. He felt very bad that he could not support his family.

The story took place somewhere in the Midwest in a farming area. There was a modest sized city (Waheegan). It was during the Great Depression. Many people where living in shacks and some had to live in the poorhouse because they had no money. There were some people who had good jobs and lived in a nice part of the city. Many people were wearing ragged old clothes. Often people could be found in the back of stores and restaurants picking through the garbage for scraps of food to eat.

The Pucketts were on the verge of losing their shanty house. They were behind on the rent and the electricity was shut off. Sarah and Mama were terrified of the winding up in the poorhouse. Frank was so desperate to find work that he left his family and rode on boxcar trains out West all the way California. But he found no work. He could have been killed traveling that way. He was robbed once on the train back to Waheegan. Sarah and Mama were worried that something terrible happened to him. Eventually he came home.

Sarah started selling her bread by taking it to church and walking door to door. She found that it was easy to sell her bread. Everyone loved her bread. Everyone loved Sarah. She sold here bread for 15 cents a loaf which was a lot of money at the time. She and her mother figured out a way to sell enough bread so that they could pay their bills and have a little money left over. Through the good graces of other folks, they were able to get a storefront on Main Street in town to sell their bread. Daddy joined the family business. A tornado came and destroyed their house. They were able to move into the back of the store where they sold the bread. They also sold cinnamon rolls. They had a successful business by the end of the story. All thanks to Sarah's baking skill.

If I had to rate this book on a scale from 1-10 (10 being the best) I would definitely pick 10 because it was an edge of your seat story. It was hard to put the book down because I wanted to see what was going to happen next. At first the Great Depression sounded boring but now I really want to learn more about it. I feel very bad for people who lived during the Depression. When their house was destroyed by the tornado I felt so w if they would live or die in the tornado. They faced a lot is their life. It was as if it happened to someone I really know. It was suspenseful because you didn't know this 138 page book is 3 days because it was so good. I encourage people to read this story.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bread That Won It All, January 16, 2006

By 

L. Pyke "A. Pyke" (ON, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bread Winner (Hardcover)

This is a great book and you should really read it.
It tells the story of a girl who lives with her mama and daddy in Waheegan. This book takes place during the depression. After having to leave their farm, Sarah Puckett moves to Shantytown. She learns to deal with bullies, and worrying about going poor.
While her dad is looking for work, Sarah and her mother bake bread and eventually make a living out of it. Sarah, Mama and Daddy go through sadness, hopfulness, happiness, fun, and a bit of a suprise. Please read this great, great book.

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book indeed!, March 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bread Winner (Hardcover)

This book is a wonderful book for young girls to read. This story is about a girl and her family and about their many struggles through the Great Depression but through it all they learned the true meaning of love and sacrifice. The young girl in the story learns how she can use her talent to help her family out and by doing that she is a blessing to the many people around her.