Fire!: My Parent's Story [Hardcover]

Jessie Haas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1998

A fire has started in an isolated Vermont fa rmhouse. Eight year old Patty and her family must save thems elves and their animals. This is the true story of the autho r''s parents'' struggle and survival, and of life in Vermont i n 1948. '

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Haas (Beware the Mare) mines family history for this compelling account of a fire that ravaged a Vermont homestead when her mother was a child. In the early hours of a morning in May 1948, "an old white farmhouse dreams in the moonlight." Unbeknownst to its sleeping occupants, a fire has started in the kitchen. Eight-year-old Patty awakens first, coughing from the smoke, and her mother quickly alerts the others in the houseAPatty's father; her aunt and uncle, who own the house; a cousin; and a summer boarder and his son. All escape to safety, and the focus shifts to saving the house and barn. With the nearest fire truck 20 miles away, it's up to Patty's family and neighbors to try. Haas's vivid descriptionsA"a thick snake of smoke," fire that "grows like fast vines"Aand her use of the present tense lend an edge-of-the-seat immediacy and convey a palpable sense of the fear, confusion and excitement that a house fire brings. In an afterword, Haas notes that because of the fire, farmers in southern Vermont built fire ponds for protection and started local volunteer fire departments. A selection of black-and-white family photographs and juicy tidbits (Patty eventually married the boy who carried her to safety, the son of the summer boarder) make this both a satisfying personal account, as well as a fascinating glimpse of rural life in New England half a century ago. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5AHaas offers a true story that took place early one morning in 1948 on a Vermont farm. Fire broke out and eight-year-old Patty, who would become the author's mother, was the first to wake up and alert the rest of the household. Although the family lost everything, including some animals, no people perished. The urgent tone of the story and the short sentences invite young readers to keep turning the pages. In an afterword, they learn that because of the fire, a volunteer fire department was started in the community and farmers built fire ponds all over Vermont. Should youngsters have difficulty keeping the characters straight, a handy family tree is included. Photographs also prove helpful, showing who's who in the story. This book is aimed at a younger audience than Jim Murphy's The Great Fire (Scholastic, 1995). However, students who enjoyed that book should find this one interesting as well, especially for its personal glimpse into how quickly one fire can disrupt lives. This story will find an audience especially among children who enjoy reading true disaster stories as well as those who are familiar with Haas's fiction titles.AAnne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 72 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (May 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688152031
• ISBN-13: 978-0688152031
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #325,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great!!!!!!!!!!, October 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fire!: My Parent's Story (Hardcover)

I think that this book is excellent and Jessie Hass did a very good job on it. I also thought that it was acculy her parents story and it happened when her mom was only eight.