A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840 [Hardcover]

Barbara Greenwood (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

In an unusual blend of fiction and nonfiction, A Pioneer Sampler chronicles one year in the lives of the imaginary Robinson family. The stories illuminate not only pioneer farm life, but situations-dealing with the school bully, competition between siblings-that occur in any era. Illustrated historical notes enlarge on the social history and describe activities related to the stories, from operating a grist mill and arranging a country store to spinning wool and making butter. Barbara Greenwood and Heather Collins cover an enormous range of subjects, for a complete and involving look at a historical period and a way of life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Laura Ingalls Wilder meets David Macaulay in this thoroughly engaging book. Greenwood combines a fictional account of a hardworking settler family with detailed descriptions of nearly every aspect of pioneer life, from the working of a gristmill to making cheese, dyeing wool, sugaring off and building a house. Recipes and directions for do-it-yourself activities (candle-dipping, making ink, playing a Native American game called Knucklebones, etc.) help young readers get a real feel for the fabric of life "in the olden days." (They will also endear the book to teachers looking for ideas for those units on the pioneer experience.) Greenwood is a talented writer and her narrative passages about the family, brief as they are, convey a lively sense of character and place. Well-researched and unusually accessible, and generously illustrated with Collins's black-and-white sketches, the book contains something for every level of interest and ability. As a resource, it's a must-have for anyone with even the remotest interest in this period of American history. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8?Greenwood introduces the fictional Robertsons and, through the family's activities, describes the details of everyday life on the frontier circa 1840. This mix of story and information makes the book a natural for use in whole-language classrooms. Report writers in traditional programs will find useful facts and diagrams tucked in between the fictional segments. Food, clothing, schooling, social life, household equipment, building, and more are covered in the wide-ranging text. The detailed black-and-white drawings are both decorative and informative. Edwin Tunis covers a wider range of topics in Frontier Living (Crowell, 1976) for a slightly older audience. For younger readers, Raymond Bial's Frontier Home (Houghton, 1993) has a narrower focus; his full-color photographs of actual (and reproduced) artifacts add interest. Where pioneer living is part of the curriculum and for readers fascinated by the time period, Greenwood's title will be a welcome and useful addition.?Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (March 27, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395715407
• ISBN-13: 978-0395715406
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #408,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Children's Books > History > Canada
  • #29 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Canada

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Experience pioneer life!!!, July 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840 (Paperback)

Barbara Greenwood has written a wonderful book that is as much fun for adults to read to children as it is for the children to read themselves. She doesn't just 'tell' about the Robertson's, she 'shows', drawing the reader into their lives...a pleasant place to be. I especially love Granny's story about how she came to America,on a ship, from Scotland.

The book is beautifully illustrated...all the way through...by Heather Collins. The pictures are so well done that, even as an adult, I would like to step into the scene!

There are instructions for simple, fun activities such as growing a potato plant, dyeing fabric using an onion, or making a cardboard jumping jack; pioneer games that will even entertain today's children for hours such as shadow shapes or knucklebones; and recipes that are easy for children.

Reading this book to a child is a great 'stress releaver'...it's like a little escape from the treadmill of life!!!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book on pioneer life for children ages 6-14, May 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840 (Paperback)

I've read many books on pioneer life, and this is by far the best one for children. The book is about the Robertsons, a fictional family living in the west. While the family is fictional, the material is all drawn from real life.

The story takes you through a year in their lives, each chapter being its own story. After each chapter, the author provides explanatory material, giving detailed information about events and activities from the story. For example, there is a chapter about the children searching for a bee tree in order to find honey. In the explanatory material following the chapter, the author discusses beekeeping, division of labor among the bees, how the honey is actually made and the importance of honey to the early pioneers.

Unlike most books, we found the explanatory material every bit as captivating as the stories. In addition, the author suggests some activities children can do in order to learn more. Yesterday we conducted an experiment to see how the sap in the maple trees resists freezing because of its high sugar content. Today we made butter.

All in all, an excellent book. Thumbs up from [this family]

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great , engaging book about pioneer life!, March 10, 2003

By 

Violet (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840 (Paperback)

I loved this book. I read it before I gave it to my daughter. It is a fictional family, but all the information is true to life. Interspersed with the story of the Robertsons, you can learn how to make your own cheese, dip a candle, or learn to tell the time from the sun.
This book will add to your library, and is a nice complement to Laura Ingalls Wilders books. Homeschooling familys will enjoy it, I know we did.