Caddie Woodlawn (Fiction) [Paperback]

Carol Ryrie Brink (Author), Trina Schart Hyman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Fiction

"Caddie Woodlawn," which has been captivating young readers since 1935, was awarded the John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Now it is in a brand-new edition with lively illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman. In her new foreword, Carol Ryrie Brink lovingly recalls the real Caddie, who was her grandmother, and tells how she often "sat spellbound, listening, listening!" as Caddie told stories of her pioneer childhood. Children everywhere will love redheaded Caddie with her penchant for pranks. Scarcely out of one scrape before she is into another, she refuses to be a "lady, " preferring instead to run the woods with her brothers. Whether she is crossing the lake on a raft, visiting an Indian camp, or listening to the tales of the circuit rider, Caddie's adventures provide an exciting and authentic picture of life on the Wisconsin frontier in the 1860s. And readers will discover, as Caddie learns what growing up truly means, that it is not so very different today.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

At age 11, Caddie Woodlawn is the despair of her mother and the pride of her father: a clock-fixing tomboy running wild in the woods of Wisconsin. In 1864, this is a bit much for her Boston-bred mother to bear, but Caddie and her brothers are happy with the status quo. Written in 1935 about Carol Ryrie Brink's grandmother's childhood, the adventures of Caddie and her brothers are still exciting over 60 years later. With each chapter comes another ever-more exciting adventure: a midnight gallop on her horse across a frozen river to warn her American Indian friends of the white men's plan to attack; a prairie fire approaching the school house; and a letter from England that may change the family's life forever. This Newbery Medal-winning book bursts at the seams with Caddie's irrepressible spirit. In spite of her mother's misgivings, Caddie is a perfect role model for any girl--or boy, for that matter. She's big-hearted, she's brave, and she's mechanically inclined! (Ages 9 to 12) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"You take Little House on the Prairie; I'll take Caddie Woodlawn."

-- Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 275 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (February 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689713703
• ISBN-13: 978-0689713705
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (122 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,052,102 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring role model, June 23, 2004

By 

teachermd79 (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Caddie Woodlawn (Fiction) (Paperback)

While I get a little antsy reading frontier stories with their detailed descriptions of prairie life, the Woodlawn children's adventures and loving family provided a fairly interesting read. I enjoy Caddie's determination to be a tomboy, despite her mother's wishes, and I love that her father only encourages it. Caddie's bravery (when warning her Indian friends of a white men's attack), kindness (spending her entire silver dollar to cheer up on her motherless classmates), and eventual understanding (of her pesky little sister's loneliness and her own need to be a mature young lady in her own way) make this an inspiring book. I also like that the bully turns out to be not so bad, and that the Woodlawn boys learn "female" chores like quilting in order to spend time with Caddie when she decides to broaden her interests. I especially like Caddie's final thoughts: "How far I've come! I'm the same girl and yet not the same. I wonder if it's always like that? Folks keep growing from one person into another all their lives, and life is just a lot of everyday adventures. Well, whatever life is, I like it." The backdrop might be different, but the lessons and values portrayed in this book are just as applicable today.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ode to Caddie Woodlawn, August 9, 2000

By 

Cecilia Owen (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Caddie Woodlawn (Hardcover)

The most remarkable thing about the book Caddie Woodlawn is that it is a true story! The real-live person named Caddie Woodlawn was 82 when the book was published by her grand-daughter in 1935. By writing down the stories told to her as a child, Carol Ryrie Brink captures her grandmother's life as a girl growing up on the Wisconsin frontier in the 1860's. Caddie Woodlawn is a tomboy and likes nothing better than to go on adventures with her brothers Tom and Warren. She comes from a large pioneer family of seven children. Her older sister Clara is always acting more lady-like than she, and her younger sister Hetty is always tattling on her. Caddie has a fierce independent streak, and we discover what life was like on the frontier as we accompany her to school, and on visits to the neighboring Indian village. The book reveals the often tense relations between Native Americans and the European settlers. Because of her friendship with Indian John, Caddie alone is able to restore peace to her settlement by taking action before the frightenend white settlers attack the Indians. By the book's end, Caddie's refined cousin Annabelle comes from Boston, and Caddie the tomboy learns that maybe a few lady-like activities such as quilting aren't so bad after all. Any teen today will look up to Caddie for her self-confidence and bravery, and see their own rites of passage reflected in Caddie's experiences.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Caddie Woodlawn, December 5, 1999

By 

Camila (Indiana, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Caddie Woodlawn (Mass Market Paperback)

Caddie Woodlawn is a very exciting book. I was always on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what happened next. It keeps you in suspense the whole time. There are funny parts, sad parts, scary parts, and mad parts. I really enjoy it, and if you buy this book and like adventure stories, I know that you will like it too.