From School Library Journal
Grade 3–6—Crippled by a freak farming accident, 11-year-old Nathaniel is bitter, helpless, frustrated, and angry when his father brings John Worth, an Orphan Train boy, into their home to help with the chores Nate can no longer manage in A. LeFaye's novel (S & S, 2004). But the two boys, each wounded in a different yet similar way, discover they have more in common than initially apparent and slowly begin to develop a friendship based on their joint desire to save the family's farm. LaFaye's unsparing look at the grueling hardships of day-to-day farm life during the late 19th-century and the ongoing battle between farmers and ranchers for control of the land is matched by the narrator Tommy Fleming's skill at portraying the starkness of the emotions felt by each of the characters in this short, spare, and beautifully told winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for historical fiction. Speaking with an authentic Nebraska accent, Fleming captures the poignancy of Nate's battle to overcome his disability, learn to read, and reinvent himself within his unhappy family. A compelling and historically accurate story beautifully rendered.—
Cindy Lombardo, Tuscarawas County Public Library, New Philadelphia, OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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From AudioFile
What is the source of one's worth? In the hardscrabble life of the Nebraska plain, a fluke accident crushes an only son's leg, bringing even more difficult times to the family. Nathaniel's sense of self is also crushed. Through grappling with his feelings toward his father, the orphan boy who comes to help out, the Greek family attending school, and the power struggles between farmers and ranchers, Nathaniel emerges as a whole individual. Tommy Fleming narrates with an edgy voice that helps the listener understand the raw feelings that permeate the story. Heartfelt emotions are evident, and Fleming's youthful voice and slight Midwestern accent add to the story's authenticity. A.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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