A Country Schoolhouse

by Lynne Barasch Narrated by Kerin McCue

Overview

Lynne Barasch is the acclaimed authorllustrator of picture books, including the ALA Notable Children's Book Radio Rescue. She takes readers back to the small 1940s country schoolhouse where Grandpa went to school. The children in his tiny three-room school participated in all sorts of fun activities-spelling bees, geography bees, history bees, even multiplication bees. And at recess they had snowball fights or played baseball or ring-a-levio. But everything changed when a new girl named Kaye came to school. "... an undeniably engaging look back."-Booklist

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

Gr 1-5-Barasch transports readers to a simpler era in public education, long before "cable in the classroom" ever darkened the double doors of most modern schools. Grandpa describes the three-room country schoolhouse that he attended in the 1940s, which held grades one through eight, with lessons for several grades taking place simultaneously in each room. Much of the work was rote memorization disguised as fun and games: "spelling bees, geography bees, history bees, even multiplication-table bees." In the seventh grade, when Grandpa's family moved to the city, he was shocked at how his no-frills education outshone that of his urban peers. Years later, Grandpa the professor delights in the foundation laid by his old-fashioned beginnings. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations create a solid sense of time and place. This gentle story unfolds nicely, captivating children and raising intriguing questions about the effectiveness of a "country school" education.-Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

When Grandpa went to school in the 1940s, there were only three rooms for eight grades, no indoor bathroom or cafeteria, and a wood-burning stove to keep the kids warm. His grandson loves hearing the stories about the small country school and especially how Grandpa was the smartest until fifth grade, when the new girl beat him in the yearlong spelling bee. In an intimate style akin to Radio Rescue, both text and sketchy watercolors have a charming innocence that conveys a peek into the past without being overly nostalgic, sappy, or maudlin. A child-friendly history lesson made relevant with details like built-in inkwells, lunch boxes, flypaper strips, and peeing in the snow, proving that kids in a small country school learned better than those in a big city school. Map endpapers create the setting and the ending sets up the next story. A+. (Picture book. 4-8)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171022051
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	06/06/2008
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

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