- Paperback
- Publisher: Harpercollins (August 1, 2004)
- ASIN: B001DW0JWI
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
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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."
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
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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,
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,
By
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),
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.
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First Sentence:
Summer was cool and wet, and the barn was muddy. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
terrible baby New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Summer was cool and wet, and the barn was muddy. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
terrible baby New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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