Grasshopper Summer (Troll Book) [Paperback]

Ann Warren Turner (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Troll Book

In 1874 eleven-year-old Sam and his family move from Kentucky to the southern Dakota Territory, where harsh conditions and a plague of hungry grasshoppers threaten their chances for survival.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After the Civil War, Sam's father decides that he's had enough of the overworked Kentucky bottomland that he has farmed for his in-laws. He takes his family by wagon to the Dakota Territory, where land is as cheap as the cost of settling it. Sam can't get accustomed to the big sky in Nebraska, but he and his brother Billy gradually learn to like their new surroundings. It is only when a swarm of grasshoppers drops out of the sky and devours their first crop that Sam realizes that although his own family is staying on, the price of settling a new land, for some folks, is just too high. Turner deftly balances tranquil scenes (the family's pitching in to build the sod house) with terrifying ones (the grasshoppers eat anything green, even the green stripes of a woman's dress--while she is still wearing it). This is a solid piece of writing--a sturdy blend of action, adventure and thoughtfulness that will appeal to both boys and girls. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-- When his father decides that it's time for a fresh start far from Kentucky, Sam White is not as enthusiastic as his younger brother Billy. Moving means goodbyes--to his grandparents, to his friends, and to his home. But, faced with no other choice, Sam grips his lucky fossil stone and determines to make the best of the situation. Thus begins the difficult and exciting adventure of a journey to the Dakota Territories in 1874 to start a new life. In vivid language and descriptions, Turner conveys the family's hard and lonely life on the road; their excited efforts in building their new home and preparing the land for planting; and their frustration and heartbreak when all is destroyed by a plague of locusts. Yet there is always the family's bond of love to ease the difficulty. Young readers will particularly enjoy Turner's "creepy" descriptions of the grasshopper invasion and the futility of the family in dealing with it. This book will appeal to fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" series (Harper). A good realistic novel of frontier life. --Elizabeth M. Reardon, McCallie School, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 166 pages
• Publisher: Troll Communications (October 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816722625
• ISBN-13: 978-0816722624
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,757,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in a small town in Western Massachusetts to creative parents who always encouraged my writing and painting. I went to Bates College, majored in English, and spent a wonderful year abroad in Oxford, England, giving me a taste for neat Scotch, Evensong, and very old churches and buildings. I've been married long enough to break all records and have two grown children. I am especially drawn to telling stories about outsiders, rebellious girls, and people who don't fit in--as I didn't growing up. I was always a bit too loud, too passionate, moved too fast, made up too many stories, and thought that life moved just a tad too slowly for me. I love to cook, garden, swim, pet my wild Jack Russell terrier, talk to friends and my "kids," and laugh at my husband's wild, original stories. I also actually answer letters and emails sent to me by fans, and when I do school visits, I tell people--"Don't ever let anyone tell you you can't do it!"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life After the Civil War, May 12, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Grasshopper Summer (Paperback)

Grasshopper Summer by Ann Turner is about Sam, a boy, who was quite happy where he was in Kentucky. Then his father decided to move the family west to start a new life in Dakota Territory. Sam's younger brother Billy was excited about the idea, but Sam hated it. Sam never thought of leaving his grandparents, and friends.
It was after the Civil War, and Sam's father was having a tough time without slaves so he decided to move his family to Dakota Territory. When Sam and his family had to move north his father wanted them to start getting used to not having slaves. Sam never thought of meeting people along the way. The family worked hard to make their dugout house. They worked through the weeks and gathered seed.
Sam started to see things a little differently and started to like the west. This book is good for people who like to read about survival after the Civil War.
Becca a 6th grader

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Help Needed, March 10, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Grasshopper Summer (Paperback)

A character from Grasshopper Summer by Anna Turner was Sam. Sam had some problems. One was that his family was moving. Then grasshoppers came and ate all their crops. Sam's friend wrote to George Washington for blankets and food. Sam wrote to his grandfather for the same reason.
They needed blankets so they could stay warm. They also had a shortage of blankets. So they could stay warm, because winter was coming soon. They needed food because grasshoppers came and ate most of their crops. They also could not grow crops because it was too late because of winter. They wrote to Washington and Sam's grandfather for some food and blankets. So they could survive winter, and they could stay healthy.
This book was better then I thought. I think this book was ok. This book was country related. So if you like country things you should read this book. Also remember never judge a book by its cover.
Danny a sixth grader

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pioneer Flavor After the Civil War, March 12, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Grasshopper Summer (Paperback)

This book really captures the feeling of the times when pioneers thought moving westward would make them a profit. It helps the reader understand the trials and tribulations of moving westward. The killing of a colt to the grasshopper invasion real grips the reader. The charactes being approximately the age of a fifth or sixth grader really helps youngsters who read this book to make a personal connection. It also helps the reader understand the role of the father, mother, and children during the late 1800s. Furthermore, it shows them although slavery has ended, how many still felt the African American still had his place. From crossing the mighty Mississippi River, to going to the Dakota Terriotory, this book truly captures the time and events of an interesting period in American history.