In an unusual blend of fiction and nonfiction, A Pioneer Sampler chronicles one year in the lives of the Robinson family. Illustrated historical notes enlarge on the social history and describe activities related to the stories, from churning butter to predicting the weather. Young readers are invited to try their hand at these tasks to experience a bit of pioneer life.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Slaughtering hogs, making butter and telling time by the sun are all chronicled in the life of a pioneer family. PW said in a starred review: "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 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format: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!!!
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format: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]
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By Violet
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
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.
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.
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I love using this book in the classroom because of the way it takes each aspect of everyday pioneer living, and provides a non-fiction type short story along with more information about the job, skill, etc., along with an acitivity for the children to do.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
There are times when history books written for the younger set are wonderful sources of information that most 'adult' (or mature) history books do not touch upon. And "A Pioneer Sampler" is one of those books.
It is written in storyform about the daily lives of the Robertson family, pioneers living on a backwoods farm in the 1840's. Throughout this 237 page book we learn, in a fun and interesting way, how this family dealt with the everyday living that a typical family of the time might have lived: their chores, crafts, eating habits, their spare time. Tools used, how to milk a cow, making maple sugar, harvest time, visiting a general store, building a house...so much interesting historical living written in a very simplistic manner.
Interspersed throughout are sidelines of information pertaining to the subject being written. For instance, there is a chapter about a peddler's visit to the family and the families reaction to this traveling salesman. But, at the end of the chapter, there are a few pages thrown in speaking of individual peddler's trades and how they do their crafts.
Most of the chapters are set up in this way, which adds greatly to understanding more fully the chapters.
I would love to see more books in this form for other era's in American history, as this style or history writing can entertain and teach all - kids as well as adults - who have an interest.
Highly recommended.
It is written in storyform about the daily lives of the Robertson family, pioneers living on a backwoods farm in the 1840's. Throughout this 237 page book we learn, in a fun and interesting way, how this family dealt with the everyday living that a typical family of the time might have lived: their chores, crafts, eating habits, their spare time. Tools used, how to milk a cow, making maple sugar, harvest time, visiting a general store, building a house...so much interesting historical living written in a very simplistic manner.
Interspersed throughout are sidelines of information pertaining to the subject being written. For instance, there is a chapter about a peddler's visit to the family and the families reaction to this traveling salesman. But, at the end of the chapter, there are a few pages thrown in speaking of individual peddler's trades and how they do their crafts.
Most of the chapters are set up in this way, which adds greatly to understanding more fully the chapters.
I would love to see more books in this form for other era's in American history, as this style or history writing can entertain and teach all - kids as well as adults - who have an interest.
Highly recommended.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By M. Heiss
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am a visual mom. When I explain something to my kids, I usually draw a picture. Even my feeble-art-skill drawings get the point across, and I do love good illustrations.
This book has GOOD (dynamite good) illustrations. There is a story line - a year in the life of a 3-generation pioneer family - and then each page has almost a visual dictionary after the text, showing how maple sugar is produced, for example, or how to load a rifle, or what the traveling shoemaker's kit looked like. Excellent. We got a ton out of this book. My kids are very interested in what the world was like when you had to make everything yourself. There are a few do-it-yourself ideas through the book. This is a good one to OWN, not just get from the library.
This book has GOOD (dynamite good) illustrations. There is a story line - a year in the life of a 3-generation pioneer family - and then each page has almost a visual dictionary after the text, showing how maple sugar is produced, for example, or how to load a rifle, or what the traveling shoemaker's kit looked like. Excellent. We got a ton out of this book. My kids are very interested in what the world was like when you had to make everything yourself. There are a few do-it-yourself ideas through the book. This is a good one to OWN, not just get from the library.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
A Kid's Review
Format:Paperback
The Pioneer Sampler
The Pioneer Sampler is a fun and fascinating book. It tells about a pioneer family. Can Nekeek and Willy catch fish by hand? You'll find out. This is a fun book.
I'd give this book a five *...
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful history!
Lots of good information and insight.
Great tool for teachers and families to learn from about the Pioneers.
Delivered in very good condition.
Great tool for teachers and families to learn from about the Pioneers.
Delivered in very good condition.
Published 21 days ago by Linda
5.0 out of 5 stars
reality for Little House on the Prairie fans
If you or your child are interested in pioneer life, this is a great book with many facts and very nice illustrations. Read more
Published 1 month ago by CleoB
5.0 out of 5 stars
story of early times in America
A wonderful book about how things were done in pioneer days. How they made maple syrup, grew their crops and raised the animals.
Published 2 months ago by Sheila Bossom
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book about pioneer life
This book is beautifully illustrated with a wealth of interesting information for children and adults. Read more
Published 10 months ago by JArnold
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining and educational
I loved this book. My children have been very into pioneers lately and so I bought this book after a friend recommended it. I wasn't disappointed. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Amanda Washburn
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Family Reading
This is a great book. Nice illustrations and story line. I read this every night to my children and all enjoy it. My family loves anything "pioneer" so this book is perfect. Read more
Published on January 20, 2011 by Tonya E. Moore
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very informative, people could be a little nicer
I read through this book with my 7 year old. It has pages and pages of fascinating information about how the pioneers built, made, or raised almost everything they used. Read more
Published on June 22, 2010 by Caregiver
5.0 out of 5 stars
"The best book in the entire world"
...according to our precocious, pioneer-addicted nine-year-old niece, who spent nearly all of Christmas day devouring it. Score one for Auntie B. and Uncle J.!
Published on December 28, 2009 by B. Hill
5.0 out of 5 stars
2 Books in 1
I was looking for a book with stories to share with my kids while we learned about pioneer life. I was also keeping an eye open for a book that had ideas for crafts that would... Read more
Published on May 13, 2009 by Drea M.
4.0 out of 5 stars
great activities and information
I ordered this to help give me information geared toward children as part of my duties as a museum docent. It was great. Read more
Published on April 26, 2009 by Donna K. Nelson
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