The 18 Penny Goose (I Can Read Book 3) [Paperback]

Sally M. Walker (Author), Ellen Beier (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: I Can Read Book 3

The British are coming! The American Revolution is being fought in the hills around Letty Wright’s family’s farm, and the Wrights must flee to safety. There is no time for Letty to bring Solomon the gander. Letty hopes the British don’t hurt Solomon, but hungry soldiers aren’t known for their kindness. Eight-year-old Letty tries the only thing she can think of to save him—and is as surprised as the other colonists when it works. Based on a remarkable, true story, this unusual tale will linger in the minds of all who read it.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-2?Letty Wright's colonial family must flee their home before the British soldiers arrive. Worried about her pet goose, she leaves a note for the soldiers asking them not to harm him. After three days, the family returns to find their home in shambles. Letty finds a note from the soldiers explaining that they needed to eat the geese, but spared her pet and paid a penny each for the ones they consumed. Although this tale is based on a true account, Letty does not come across as a real person. The illustrations are dark and heavy with stiff human figures. A feeling of distress is well sown when the British are coming but is never altered; even when Letty is reunited with her pet, her expression remains the same. This one is for large beginning-reader collections only.?Sharon R. Pearce, San Antonio Public Library, TX
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 1^-3. Based on a true story, this I Can Read book makes history immediate and exciting. The time is 1778, during the War for American Independence, and Letty's family must flee their New Jersey farm because the British soldiers are raiding for food. Letty cannot bear to leave behind her beloved goose, Solomon, and in desperation she leaves the soldiers a letter begging them not to harm her pet. When the family returns home, there's a note from the soldiers, who spared Solomon and hung a pouch around his neck with British pennies as payment for the other geese they ate. Beier's watercolor illustrations on every page express the child's experience: the terror of the war at home and the tenderness of the pet story. Hazel Rochman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (February 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064442500
• ISBN-13: 978-0064442503
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #435,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #75 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > English as a Foreign Language

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling historical drama for young children, December 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The 18 Penny Goose (I Can Read Books) (Hardcover)

I think this is the only book we've ever found in the Beginning Reader section that deals with a real, historical subject.

My daughter read it to herself and loved it.

I also read through it and found it to be a fascinating children's book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great addition to the early reader library, June 11, 2011

By 

Will Riddle "and Jaime Riddle" (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The 18 Penny Goose (I Can Read Book 3) (Paperback)

I got this book because most of the other early readers in American history are very boy-friendly and I have three boys. But after "Sam the Minuteman" and "George the Drummer Boy" etc, I needed something that my little girl could really enjoy. I picked this one up and was not disappointed. It is historically accurate (based on a true account), and fits right in with the other titles in the I Can Read Book (Level 3).

It's a neat story-- a little girl has to flee her farm when a Revolutionary War battle comes close. She is worried about leaving her pet goose behind because she has heard that British soldiers are destructive to property when they come by it. She leaves a message behind on the mantel for them not to kill her goose. When the family returns to their farm, they find it ransacked and all the other geese have been eaten. But the girl's special pet goose has been spared and on the mantel is a return note with 18 pennies for the 18 other geese the British soldiers took.

It is a great story because kids who cannot otherwise understand a war like the Revolution which was fought among farms and homes can definitely relate to the fear of a beloved pet being endangered. Also the story is very balanced in terms of the "good" and "bad" people. The British soldiers come across as threatening and careless, which they were, but also witty and sensitive to the plight of a child, which they were as well (see the author's note at the end). There is a happy ending, which most little children need, but also a gentle introduction to the cruelty of war.

Of course my boys loved the story too. It comes across as a classic which can be read over and over by anyone. But especially for little girls who may be having trouble getting into the muskets and Redcoats of the era, this is a real winner. It makes a nice companion to "Josefina and the Story Quilt" and "Clara and the Bookwagon."

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming tale for the youngest history fans, August 31, 2006

By 

H. Henriques "learning with my kids" (Birmingham, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 18 Penny Goose (I Can Read Book 3) (Paperback)

This is a charming, easy-to-read account of one young girl's encounter with the American Revolution. All my children loved it - even the ones for whom it was too "young"! A well-told tale based on an actual event. This is a great story for putting your kids "in the shoes" of those who lived during the founding of our country.