More Perfect Than the Moon [Preloaded Digital Audio Player]

Patricia MacLachlan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2008

The beloved story of
Sarah, Plain and Tall continues

Cassie is an observer, a writer, a storyteller. And for her, life is as it should be. But change is inevitable, even on the prairie. Something new is expected, and Sarah says it will be the perfect gift. Cassie isn't so sure. But just like life changes, people change too, and Cassie learns that unexpected surprises can bring great joy. more perfect than the moon invites us back to the Witting family farm, first visited in the Newbery Medal–winning sarah, plain and tall. With her lyrical prose Patricia MacLachlan writes about a family’s boundless capacity for love.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–Another heartwarming installment in the saga of the Witting family, first made famous in Sarah, Plain and Tall (HarperCollins, 1985). In this fourth book, Anna is working with Dr. Sam in town and is engaged to Justin, and Caleb is busy on the farm, so it is the youngest member of the family's turn to keep a journal. Cassie, almost in third grade, is a watcher, a listener, and a writer. While Caleb scoffs at her stories as not being true, Cassie defends her imaginative entries as "my truth." When Sarah announces that she is going to have a baby, Cassie is angry, and worried that her mother won't have enough love left over for her. She is determined not to like the "terrible baby." As her loving family helps her come to terms with the inevitable birth, the journal entries provide a way for Cassie to blend "her truth" with the facts. In true MacLachlan fashion, the spare, graceful writing sparkles with fresh images, and the first-person point of view rests firmly with the child. While the pace is restrained, the exciting climax provides enough dramatic tension to keep readers' attention. A worthy companion to the earlier books.–Caroline Ward, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. This fourth title in the Sarah Plain and Tall (1985) series highlights Cassie, Sarah and Jacob's eight-year-old daughter. Caleb has transferred journal-writing duties to her, and she tries to record what she observes, despite a tendency to write what she wishes might happen. Sarah and Jacob are expecting another baby, and Cassie is perturbed at the prospect. She is quite certain her new sibling won't be the "gift" her mother has promised. Wisely, Sarah allows her daughter to work through these feelings (at one point Cassie announces that the baby will be born a sheep--named Beatrice), and, by the time her new brother arrives, Cassie is able to concede that this "terrible baby" might be even more perfect than the moon. As always, MacLachlan's lyrical prose conveys volumes in a few well-chosen words. Solid, believable characters face classic dilemmas, yet the ending feels neither pat nor predictable. A fine, literate choice for beginning chapter-book readers, especially those already familiar with this series. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Preloaded Digital Audio Player
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160514083X
• ISBN-13: 978-1605140834
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Patricia MacLachlan was born on the prairie, and to this day carries a small bag of prairie dirt with her wherever she goes to remind her of what she knew first. She is the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb's Story; and Three Names, illustrated by Mike Wimmer. She lives in western Massachusetts.

In Her Own Words..."One thing I've learned with age and parenting is that life comes in circles. Recently, I was having a bad time writing. I felt disconnected. I had moved to a new home and didn't feel grounded. The house, the land was unfamiliar to me. There was no garden yet. Why had I sold my old comfortable 1793 home? The one with the snakes in the basement, mice everywhere, no closets. I would miss the cold winter air that came in through the electrical sockets."

"I had to go this day to talk to a fourth-grade class, and I banged around the house, complaining. Hard to believe, since I am so mild mannered and pleasant, isn't it? What did I have to say to them? I thought what I always think when I enter a room of children. What do I know?"

"I plunged down the hillside and into town, where a group of fourth-grade children waited for me in the library, freshly scrubbed, expectant. Should I be surprised that what usually happens did so? We began to talk about place, our living landscapes. And I showed them my little bag of prairie dirt from where I was born. Quite simply, we never got off the subject of place. Should I have been so surprised that these young children were so concerned with place, or with the lack of it, their displacement? Five children were foster children, disconnected from their homes. One little boy's house had burned down, everything gone. 'Photographs, too,' he said sadly. Another told me that he was moving the next day to place he'd never been. I turned and saw the librarian, tears coming down her face."

"'You know,' I said. 'Maybe I should take this bag of prairie dirt and toss it into my new yard. I'll never live on the prairie again. I live here now. The two places could mix together that way!' 'No!' cried a boy from the back. 'Maybe the prairie dirt will blow away!' And then a little girl raised her hand. 'I think you should put that prairie dirt in a glass bowl in your window so that when you write you can see it all the time. So you can always see what you knew first.'"

"When I left the library, I went home to write. What You Know First owes much to the children of the Jackson Street School: the ones who love place and will never leave it, the ones who lost everything and have to begin again. I hope for them life comes in circles, too."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kaitlyn, an 8-year-old reader from Lafayette, CA, September 6, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: More Perfect than the Moon (Sarah, Plain and Tall) (Hardcover)

"More Perfect Than The Moon" is the fourth in a series by Patricia MacLachlan about the Witting family. In this author's books the stories are told through the journal writings of the children. In this latest book, Cassandra Sarah Witting is now a third grader who discovers that her mother is once again pregnant. She is afraid that she will lose her parents' attention. She hides her fear by announcing that the baby is not a "special" gift nor even a real baby. In fact, it is really a sheep named Beatrice. When the baby finally comes, Cassie realizes that he is truly a gift "more perfect than the moon".

You do not have to read the previous books to enjoy this short 80-page one. Ms. MacLachlan uses simple language and tells a beautiful story with such few words. Some may say that this is a "girly" book. After all, there are no wars, no fights, no monsters and no superheroes (boys my age love this stuff). But any kid, boy or girl, with a new baby in the family, will probably have the same feelings as Cassie. An important theme in the book is Journaling. It is important that all children learn this craft. After all, everyone has a unique life story to tell.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'More Perfect than the Moon' is a perfect read, January 31, 2006

By 

Tracy Brugger "book worm" (Lexington, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: More Perfect than the Moon (Sarah, Plain and Tall) (Hardcover)

Author Patricia MacLachlan, most famous for "Sarah, Plain and Tall," invites us back to re-visit the Witting family in "More Perfect than the Moon." Mother Sarah is pregnant in "More Perfect than the Moon," much to youngest daughter Cassie's chagrin. Cassie chronicles her feelings and emotions about the upcoming arrival of the 'terrible baby' in a private journal she keeps. Cassie's private journal entries are sometimes true happenings around the Witting farm. Other times, the entries are what Cassie wishes would happen. Either way, the entries had me smiling and laughing out loud. MacLachlan holds true to her typical writing style and shows us that change is inevitable and made bearable by the love of family. Another heart-warming, laugh-out-loud, easy read by MacLachlan.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Perfect than the Moon: Review by Ava Cohen (age 8), June 11, 2008

A Kid's Review

This review is from: More Perfect than the Moon (Sarah, Plain and Tall) (Paperback)

More Perfect than the Moon is a story about an eight-year-old girl named Cassie. I liked this book a lot because it was fun to read. Cassie was my favorite character because she is nice to everyone in her family and she is always happy until the very end. I recommend this book everyone, especially to seven and eight-year-old girls. This book is interesting and the story could happen to any normal girl. It is a very good book and you should read it.