Minna's Patchwork Coat

by Lauren A. Mills

Overview

In this charming historical novel, acclaimed artist Lauren A. Mills reimagines her beloved picture book, The Rag Coat, with fifty delicate pencil illustrations and an expanded story about a resilient little girl, her patchwork coat, and how the two bring a community together.

Minna and her family don't have much in their small Appalachian cabin, but "people only need people," Papa always reminds her. Unable to afford a winter coat to wear to school, she's forced to use an old feed sack to keep her warm. Then Papa's terrible cough from working in the coal mines takes him away forever, and Minna has a hard time believing that anything will be right again...until her neighbors work tirelessly to create a coat for her out of old fabric scraps. Now Minna must show her teasing classmates that her coat is more than just rags--it's a collection of their own cherished memories, each with a story to share.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316406222
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	11/03/2015
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
File size:	20 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lauren A. Mills is the award-winning author and illustrator of The Rag Coat and The Goblin Baby and has retold and illustrated Thumbelina, Tatterhood and the Hobgoblins, and The Book of Little Folk. She is also the co-author of Fairy Wings, Fia and the Imp, and The Dog Prince.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Minna's Patchwork Coat:A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
A Children's Book Council Hot off the Press Pick


"Readers can immerse themselves in a culture and time where things moved at a slower pace and common sense values created from warmth and love are given room to exist and thrive.... A cozy, leisurely peek into a turn-of-the-century Appalachian family."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

09/01/2015
Gr 4–6—An expanded, middle grade version of the author's picture book The Rag Coat (Little, Brown, 1991). Minna's family has it tougher than other people living in their Appalachian mountain region. Her papa, sickened from his job in the coal mines, stays home more and more frequently. Minna's one wish is to go to school where she can make friends, but the family is too poor to afford a coat—a necessity for the harsh winter months. Her only friends are "Aunt" Nora, a Cherokee healer, and Nora's mixed-race grandson, Lester. Aunt Nora teaches Minna about the curative powers of plants, along with lessons of Native American wisdom. In return, the eight-year-old teaches shy Lester how to read. There are no schools for people of color in the area, so it's a risky venture. Minna's friendship with Lester exposes her to prejudice and cruelty from the same children she hopes to befriend at school. Sadly, her beloved papa dies, and soon after, her mother must make ends meet by joining the Quilting Moms. The women create a patchwork coat for Minna, made out of scraps from everyone in the area. While they sew, they tell stories connected to each piece of fabric, describing the sorrows and joys of the locals. From these tales, Minna learns much about the children in the town. But friendship eludes her when she starts school—she is teased about her ragged clothes and her relationship with Lester. Minna hopes that bringing her new, treasured coat on Sharing Day will turn things around—her acceptance doesn't come easily, though. Readers can immerse themselves in a culture and time where things moved at a slower pace and common sense values created from warmth and love are given room to exist and thrive. The delicate, ethereal pencil drawings provide an additional lens into this story. The emotions of the characters are sensitively rendered, and one can almost smell the pine-scented air and wood-burning fireplace. VERDICT A cozy, leisurely peek into a turn-of-the century Appalachian family.—Diane McCabe, John Muir Elementary, Santa Monica, CA

School Library Journal