Customer Reviews

The Cabin Faced West

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

What better way for a child to learn history than through reading a well-written, fascinating story set in a previous era? This book is outstanding in that category. The history is authentic, the story engaging, the reading level accessible for an elementary age reader. I especially appreciated the realistic and warm family relationships in the book. Beautiful themes of adjusting to change and accepting new challenges. My 6-year-old daughter enjoyed it as much as I did.

I am very surprised at the number of poor reviews this book has gotten. As a kid, I thought it was great BECAUSE of the low action format, and that the concentration was on what life was like for the REAL heroes of our nation during a most underrated time in our nation's history. Ann HATED the idea of moving 'out west' (western Pennsylvania) at the beginning of the story, but, by the end, she learned just what an impact every day people such as she and her family had in helping our nation's growth. Such interesting historical facts like not letting the cooking fire go out (no lighters or matches in the 18th century!), and showing, pretty accurately, life without electricty, TV, videos, radios, cars, or even paper to write on. No, there's not much action, but there IS much more, especially for the youngster who has an interest in the past. When I was ten, this book was a favorite - even though the main character was a girl - taboo at that age - and I recently reread it and I found I STILL could not put it down. Not every life was filled with fighting and killing. And 'The Cabin Faced West' is one of those that show life as it really was in the late 18th century America. If I could, I'd give it 10 stars!

The Cabin Faced West is an intriguing story of a family that has moved west, which is such a remote place that it is only populated by two families.The two families contain nothing but male figures (that are Anne's own age!) Anne Hamilton is having a rough time working out this problem. She must stay strong and overcome these dissimilarities and strive to be friends with the outgoing, down- to- earth, Andy McPhale. She has almost given up when suddenly a visitor changes her thoughts and gives her the ability to go on. I think this book is very tasteful, witty, and also seems very real. I would definetly recommend this book to a friend . If you like the Little House On The Prairie you'll love this book.If you like mysteries,adventures, surprises,or you just enjoy reading books on the early frontiers,and pioneers, you'll love this book.As I said I would definetly recommend this book to a friend , as I recommend it to you.*****

I actually chose this book to read for a graduate level children's literature class. As a school teacher I feel this is a wonderful easy read for children beginning to tackle the longer chapter books.

Ann Hamiltion is the main character, in which girls who are about 10 years old, could relate to. The entire Hamilton family seems to have embraced their new life out west except for Ann. She longs for her friends and old life she has left behind. There are not any girls who are Ann's age for her to spend time with and not many neighbors nearby. Ann is left to tend to her new vegetable garden and help her mother with chores around the home and care for her new baby brother. Ann tries to pass the days by writing in her journal. There are a few travelers that pass through town along with some surprises that make the days more exciting for Ann and her family.

The descriptions of the setting are very vivid and helps the reader to really imagine what is going on. This story would be a terrific read-aloud for children who are being introduced to historical fiction or for children who are interested in the pioneer days. It is a great way to show children what life was like in pioneer days, especially for children in the 8-12 year old age group.

This book is about a young girl who just moved to the west from Gettysburg. She misses Gettysburg so bad, all her friends and all the civiliztion. Her brothers made a rule that if anyone of them was caught complaining about the west then the others would get to pour a bucket of cold water on the one who said it's head. Later on in the story, one of her brother's get caught doing it. That is a really funny part in the book to me. She also has other fun experiences. She meets General George Washington and a young man on his way to find land, which later she marries. She also gets to teach the boy that lives down the road from her to read and write. She has many great experiences in the west. I recommend this book to any boy or girl who is interested in the way people lived in the west and a little excitement.

The novel I read is an awesome book. The main character in my book is Ann Hamilton, a young English girl trying to live in the West. She had to leave her dearest cousin, Margaret who was living in England. She had to give up being clean, wearing clean clothes, and wearing shoes. She out grew the clothes she wore in England, so Ann and her family had to make all their clothes by hand, because there were no shops, or markets near by. Ann lived in the West on a farm, where they grew beans, corn, and cabbage etc.

I gave this book five stars because it was a very interesting novel. It was interesting because I got to read about how Ann had to live in a totally new place, where she had no church, no school, and no market like the markets she had in England. In this book there was nothing I didn't like, I admired Ann when she moved to a new place, because she dealt with it very well. It was very neat to learn about how she got to meet General Washington. I especially liked this book because it had a very happy ending.

Where can 10-year-old Anne Hamilton find a girlfriend in the rugged Pennsylvania wilderness in post-Revolutionary times? She hates the road which leads back East, to her former Gettysburg home. Many people have caught Wilderness Fever, but not young Anne, who misses her cousin and comfortable life in civilized country. Curious thing though--at different times, that same road brings two very special men into her life.

Her older brothers make up THE RULE, which means No Complaining about living out in the West (of Pennsyvania, which lured hardy pioneers). But can a mere dirt road inspire moods in people? Will Ann grow up to be proud of becoming a Western girl? Ann keeps a diary which reveals all, including a surprise visitor for dinner by a great man.

Quaint vocabulary and expressions contribute to the Colonial flavor of the times: such as putting someone's name in the pot and a kind of food called "wonders." Based on the life of the author's 3x great-grandmother, this little book will delight elementary readers with its simple, truthful style; yet it can charm adults as well. A very relaxed introduction to the Western Movement.

Jean Fritz is an outstanding author!! As a home school mom who is always looking for EXCELLENT literature, this is definitely quality reading, to be read out loud to children, or for 4th graders and up reading alone.

I loved this book as a kid in the 70's and was thrilled to find it in a used bookstore. I wanted my daughter to read it but she was too busy with other books and just recently got into the Twilight series. Well one day she forgot her book for reading time in school and had to get this one out of her backpack, that I had put in there just in case, because if you come to school without a reading book you get a "ding". Well, when I picked her up she told me she had started the book at school as she had forgot her other one. The next words out her mouth were "Mommy it is so good I love it". Wow, I actually felt my heart warm. See, I told you so. You should always listen to your mother!!!

This book is mostly aboout a girl named Ann. And Ann's family came from Gettysburg. They have to move into a cabin that was on Hamilton Hill in the woods. You should read this book because it tells you about pioner life. And at the end you will be surprized.