Caleb's Story

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Summary: Caleb's Story by Patricia MacLachlan
Review: As a third grade teacher, I am always on the lookout for good literature for student reading or teacher read alouds. My class and I read together the first two books in this trilogy and I used Caleb's Story as a read aloud which I shared with my principal. We loved this poignant story from its opening pages to its final pages. The old characters come to life once again while the surprising introduction of some new characters give great insight into family life. Everyone could relate to one or more of the characters, they are realistic. Lessons on cause and effect, character traits and goals, predicting, and problem solving were ongoing. Class discussions were wonderful as this tale presents much to talk about. The fact that this book is told in a different voice from the first two, is an interesting change. Caleb, who didn't want to take his sister's place as the family historian, eventually continues the saga in his own journal. My class is writing to the author requesting that she continue the stories using Jacob and the new characters to tie some pieces together. Many of my students are reading it again. It is a beautiful chapter book and appropriate to read when studying the early prairie years of our country.

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Summary: Sarah, Plain and Tall and Skylark Sequel is Heartwarming
Review: Caleb's Story picks up where Skylark and Sarah, Plain and Tall leave off. For the countless readers who fell in love with Sarah as she learned to be a mother to Anna and Caleb, and a helpmeet for Jacob, this book is a wonderful addition. For the reader who lacks "Sarah background," Sarah comes from Maine to a prairie farm after responding to an ad placed by Jacob, who is looking for a woman to replace his recently deceased wife. While he is not necessarily looking for romance, Sarah and Jacob ultimately fall in love, and their next years as a family is chronicled in the sequel, Skylark.

In Caleb's Story, Anna leaves for town to help with victims of the influenza epidemic of 1918. A stranger is discovered in the barn, which turns out to be Jacob's estranged father, John. John wishes reconciliation with Jacob, who stubbornly continues to deny him the forgiveness he desires.

Journaling is a major theme in this book, making it a perfect companion to teaching the importance of recording events and feelings. Caleb picks up journaling for the family, a job which Anna had done until her departure. In trying to encourage Grandpa John to learn about the family he knew little of, Caleb offers the journals to him. Ultimately, in an extremely touching scene, Caleb presents Grandpa John his own journal, whereupon he learns that John never learned how to write.

What a touching story this is! A perfect read-aloud for the classroom (if the teacher can harden the heart enough not to cry!), students do not need to have a lot of background of the previous parts of the story. This reviewer found the characters believable; their reactions that John's arrival caused the family were extremely believable. MacLachlan's ability to convey emotions in an easy-to-understand way for intermediate readers makes this the perfect addition to any school or family library.

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Summary: Touching Story
Review: Caleb's Story, the third of a series by Patricia MacLachlan, shows how a family can be brought closer together. Caleb, a teen coming of age, meets his grandpa who is sick. Taking place on the prairie this story show a struggle between generations. Read more to understand the struggles between the generations, and possibly solve some of your own.
Two good reasons you must read Caleb's Story are you could find more about grandpa, and find out more about Caleb and Cassie. You could see if their grandpa could make it or not. You could see if they started to get a long. Calob's Story is a MUST READ because you will learn about relationship. This book Calob's Story has a happy ending. You will love Calob's Story.
Patricia Maclachlan is a great writer. You will love her books. Patricia was a English teacher. She has a daughter who is helping her writer a book. She lives on the top of a mountain in Massachusetts. Calob's Story is the best book out of the series.

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Summary: I'm not impressed
Review: I'm not impressed with this book.

Sarah Plain and Tall is a near perfect novel in it's simplicity and depth but it is evident that MacLachlan spent neither the time nor the care to develop this story. I felt jipped with the cliches and predictable unfolding. This is definitely not her best writing.

Plus, the way the father Jacob is portrayed (an angry unforgiving man) takes away from his character in the first book .. shy, strong, deep and wise.

This book is a classic example of an author monopolizing on something good (Sarah Plain and Tall) knowing her fans will buy it. In the book "Caleb's Story" MacLachlan leaves herself plenty of loopholes so we know there will be more books.

I'm disappointed and kinda disgusted.

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Summary: Good third book in the series.
Review: It's been years since Sarah came to the prairie to marry Anna and Caleb Whitting's father and to be a mother to the children. There's now a new member of the family, four-year-old Cassie. Anna has moved to town to finish school and take a job while her sweetheart fights in World War I in Europe and the influenza epidemic rages. One cold, snowy winter day, little Cassie discovers a strange man behind the barn, a man that turns out to be the father who abandoned Jacob Witting so long ago, when he himself was just a child. Although Sarah tries to help Jacob forgive his father, and Caleb and Cassie try to make their grandfather feel at home, it may take a tragedy to bring the family back together. Readers of the first two books will love this, the third book in the Witting family saga. Highly recommended.