Agnes May Gleason: WALSENBURG, COLORADO, 1932 (American Diaries) (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-A swiftly moving novel set in small-town Colorado during the Great Depression. Twelve-year-old Agnes, her parents, and her younger brother and sister all do their part to keep the family dairy going as they struggle to make up for the loss of the oldest son who has run away to greener fields. Duey works in the mundane details of operating a small dairy and admirably conveys the emotional strain a family feels as bankruptcy looms over them. She also keeps the pages turning as events unfold in an almost melodramatic way: Mr. Gleason steps on a nail and has to go into town to the doctor; an elderly neighbor calls for help birthing a recalcitrant calf; and, when Agnes's parents must remain away overnight to tend to her father's injury, the girl decides that she and her siblings can bottle up and deliver the evening's milk with the wagon. Ingenuity and spunk almost turn into disaster when the horses get away from the children and gallop toward the center of town. Duey keeps Agnes's characterization in the forefront, even when the plot seems a bit too exciting to be likely. Add to this the unusual setting and well-drawn minor characters, and the result is a solid addition to historical-fiction collections.-
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Children's Book Review These exciting stories...are wonderful examples of how engrossing historical fiction can be in the hands of a writer who treats the past not only with respect, but imagination. -- Review

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689823290
• ISBN-13: 978-0689823299
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,456,272 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great new book in the American Diaries series., September 24, 1998

By A Customer

Agnes May Gleason is almost thirteen, and she's living on her family's dairy farm near Walsenburg, Colorado, in 1933. Life has been hard for her family since the Depression started, and now Aggie's father has injured himself. When he must go to the hospital, Aggie is left alone to run the dairy with only her ten year old sister, Mary, and seven year old brother, Charles. If only her older brother Ralph hadn't left home! But it's up to Agnes now to make decisions, and pray that everything goes right. I highly reccomend this book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A story about a girl living on a dairy farm in 1933., August 5, 2000

By	Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

When Agnes May Gleason's father is injured working on the family dairy farm, her mother must take him to the hospital, leaving Agnes charge. Things were already difficult because of the Depression, and now Agnes's parents tells them to dump the day's milk. They can't afford to do that with these hard times, and Agnes decides to disobey her parents and make the deliveries with the help of her little brother and sister. This was an inspiring story about a girl during a difficult time in this country's history and how she overcomes difficulties to help her family.