65 pages • 2 hours read
Patricia MacLachlanSarah, Plain and Tall
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1985A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Introduction
Sarah, Plain and Tall
- Genre: Fiction; children’s/middle grade historical classic
- Originally Published: 1985
- Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 650L; grades 1-5
- Structure/Length: 9 chapters; approx. 112 pages; approx. 1 hour on audio
- Protagonist and Central Conflict: On the midwestern prairie in the 19th century, a widower, Jacob, runs a newspaper ad seeking a new wife. His children Anna and Caleb become enamored with the woman who answers the ad: Sarah, a woman from Maine who loves the sea. Once Sarah arrives, Anna and Caleb fear she may not want to stay.
- Potential Sensitivity Issues: Death of mother; the idea of a stepmother as a “new mother”
Patricia MacLachlan, Author
- Bio: 1938-2022; born in Wyoming; lived in Minnesota and Connecticut; taught junior high English and worked in family services before becoming a writer; wrote over 60 children’s books; earned the National Humanities Medal (2022)
- Other Works: Arthur, For the Very First Time (1980); Cassie Binegar (1982); Skylark (1994); The Sick Day (2001); Cat Talk (2013); The Truth of Me (2015); Poets Dog (2018)
- Awards: Newbery Medal (1986); Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction (1986); Golden Kite Award (1986)
CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:
- The Beauty of New Beginnings
- A Child’s Need for Security and Stability
- Finding Comfort and Connection in Nature
