The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh, a 1955 Newbery Honor, is simply perfect. Based upon a true story, it’s the story of Sarah Noble who at the age of eight agreed to leave her warm home and join her father in the wild frontier of Connecticut to cook for him while he built the family a new house. Her father bought the land from the indians who lived just across the river. Would they be nice? Would she be able to have the courage to face that which she fears the most?
While traveling to their new home, they eat supper at a home where the household is horrified to learn that they will live so close to the Indians. Of them her father says,
“Mistress Robinson should teach her children to watch their words. She should watch her own. And there are people in this world who do not help others along the way, Sarah, while there are those who do. In our home all will be treated with kindess – always, Sarah. The Indians too, and they will not harm us.”
Now Sarah held her courage a little more firmly. She also held tightly to her father’s hand. And so they came, with Thomas, down the long hill into the place that would be their home.
She soon meets the Indian children and finds that they are good play companions. But when her father finishes the house and asks Sarah to stay behind and live with the Indians while he fetches the rest of the family, her courage falters. What will it be like to live with Tall John and his children? She soon finds that they love her as their own and she does them.
The Courage of Sarah Noble is the perfect tale of courage and friendship. It’s short at just 52 pages including illustrations and would be perfect to read-a-loud with young readers.
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Category: Book Reviews, Fiction, Middle Readers
Tags: A-D Author, A-D Title, historical fiction, Newbery
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I read this as a kid and just LOVED it. In fact, whenever my friend gives it back, I’ll have to reread.
on January 26th, 2009 at 11:39 amI love old Newberry winners!
on January 26th, 2009 at 12:38 pmAgain, a nice, short Newberry. I don’t remember this one though. I like the idea of the plot.
on January 26th, 2009 at 10:01 pmJanssen – How come I seem to be the only kid who didn’t read the books that everybody else seemed to read?
Melissa – I think this is the oldest one I’ve read so far. The other closest being Mr. Popper’s Penguins.
Jenn M. – And it’s based on a true story.
on January 28th, 2009 at 5:30 pmHow did I miss this one review I read it about 6 years ago and really enjoyed it. I have since learned that this book is on Oyate’s (a group that makes recommendations on literature about accurate portrayals of American Indians) has this on their books to avoid list. Mostly because of the way the American Indians are portrayed. I am not for banning any book and I don’t think they are either, but I thought people might want to be aware so that if you read it or read it with your children you might be aware of some of the biases in the book.
on February 1st, 2009 at 3:58 pmwow this is a grat book i hope i can read more of the books
on April 16th, 2009 at 2:57 pmI like it alot i would read more by alice d.
on June 2nd, 2009 at 1:34 pm