The Courage of Sarah Noble is a fascinating true story of a courageous young girl who traveled with her father in to the wilderness to build a new home for their family. During the journey and separation from her family, she learned to face her fears and “keep up her courage” as her mother had challenged her to do.
This is an inspiring story that even young children will enjoy — and it’s also perfect for readers who are just beginning to read chapter books. We’ve read it twice in the last year, and the girls have enjoyed it both times and haven’t wanted me to stop when I got to the end of each chapter.
For more book ideas, check out my series on Books We Love. For more picture book ideas, check out my list of 15 Favorite Children’s Books.
Have you read any great books (children’s books or otherwise) recently?
My 10-yo recently discovered Peg Kehret’s books. We’ve read two — Runaway Twin and Stolen Children — and enjoyed them both. The writing is excellent! They are page turners — you just have to keep reading to see what will happen next. Hard to put down because each chapter ends with it’s own “cliff-hanger” so to speak.
My daughter hates to read for pleasure (makes me sad but I’ve come to accept it; she excels at other things). But she did enjoy these books and read them for school assignments without being nagged, so that says something in and of itself.
The story lines represent stuff that might scare young kids (child traveling across the country by herself; children being abducted and threatened with being killed), but it’s not overly graphic in a scary sort of way (if that makes sense) and the endings are heart-warming (not to give too much away). I’d recommend these books for the pre-tween set.
If you liked Sarah Noble, you would probably also like “The Sign of the Beaver” by Elizabeth George Spears. Set in colonial times, father and 12-yo son set out to homestead and build a cabin. Father returns home to collect wife and daughters, leaving son at the cabin. Weather prevents family from returning until the following year, leaving son alone in the cabin all winter. Indians befriend him and exchange teaching him survival skill for him teaching Indian boy to read. It’s a great book — compelling story line and quality writing.
There is also a film of the book that was available on Netflix (not sure if it still is) but it’s out there for rent.
Ditto “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” that another commenter already recommended.
I’d agree with Alison comment above about “The Courage of Sarah Noble” being racist. When I read it with my then 8-yo daughter, however, I used that as another opportunity for learning. Our culture is not the same now as in the 1700’s when the story took place. “Overbearing” is a good work to describe the story. I liked it, but it would have been too much for my DD to enjoy were she to read the book by herself.
Read your review and just ordered the book for my youngest through Amazon. Thank you for the idea. By the way, virtually all of Patricia Polacco books are very good for children. She has a knack for writing moving stories with a good message in a very simple way. Also, her characters are from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds — an educational way of teaching children about the world around us through a good story.
We read that book as part of our curriculum this year & loved it! Another book similar to that is A Lion To Guard Us. And we also loved The Light At Tern Rock.
I LOVE Trolley Car Family, and I’ve never met anyone else who has heard of it!
I have! I read it as a child.
Of all the books we’ve read in the past year, my 6yo son says his favorite is an old book of mine called The Trolley Car Family. It was always one of my favorites too!
We found The Trolley Car Family in an old box of books that my Mom had in storage. I read it to my 6 year old as well, a few years ago, and we both really enjoyed it. It was fun to find an old treasure.
No offense, but I really don’t like The Courage of Sarah Noble–and neither did the third graders I taught who read it for summer reading. I love a good moral fable, but my students and I found the writing a touch overbearing. And, although it wasn’t intended to be, to a twenty-first-century reader the book comes across as pretty racist.
If your daughters liked The Courage of Sarah Noble, you should try Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. It’s a Newbery nominee fantasy novel about family, curiosity, and determination.
My 7 year old son is loving Judy Blume books right now – Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Superfudge, and Doublefudge.
They are funny (and silly!) books, and I remember reading them as child, so that always makes it more fun.
We also really enjoy Beverly Cleary books – The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Ramona the Pest, and many more.
The GirlWho Could Fly. It is so cute!
We have read this book multiple times as well. A wonderful book for encouraging maturity and selflessness in your child.
That is a good one! Have you read any of Elizabeth Yates books with your children yet? How about The Cabin faced west by Jean Fritz?
We read The Cabin Faced West last year and enjoyed it. And we really loved Sarah Witcher’s Story by Yates. We’ve not read any other by her. Do you recommend them all?
I like her others, but they vary as far as age range. She wrote for many different age levels. I loved her adult fiction as a teen…but some of it dealt with racial issues and prejudice.
Any adult fiction of hers you think I’d like? I’m almost through all of Tricia Goyer’s novels and am looking for new fiction to read that’s really good — I’d love any suggestions you have, if you have a minute.
Sarah Sundin has some historical fiction that reminds me of Tricia’s type of writing. I really like old fiction, so Elizabeth Yates was one I loved. She talked about some harder topics, things we don’t deal with as much anymore, but Nearby was one I really enjoyed about a school teacher who teaches in a small town that has very firm ideas and are somewhat prejudiced. Susan May Warren The Heiress is one you could check out….also Susan Meissner has some excellent fiction. Siri Mitchell – She Walks in Beauty about women/corsets and the history of them, she also has some other fiction that is not your average. That will give you some to look at!
Thanks SO much! Just added those to my library request list! All of your reading inspires me and I love following your books read board on Pinterest.
Thank you! I hope you enjoy some of them!!
Hi Crystal,
I’ve read several posts where you’ve said you love Target’s ‘Mossimo Supply Co. Junior’s Bootcut Jeans.’ I’ve also read that you’re 5.3, so do these regular length fit you well? I’m also 5.3, and I’m having a really hard time finding jeans that fit!
Thanks so much. Your blog has inspired and motivated me more than you know!
I wear the short Mossimo jeans. The regulars are way too long!
Thank you SO much!! I’m placing my online order now! 😀