Independent Reading Level: Grades 2nd-5th grade
Awards: none at this current date

This was one of my favorite books as a child that I reread over and over. The sensory details were so great, from the boxcar that the children lived in to the food they bought and gathered, to the way they cleaned their spoons with sand and built their own swimming pool. I desperately wanted to live this kind of life when I was a kid, with so much freedom coupled with purpose in everyday tasks. ( )

Independent Reading Level: Grades 2-4
Awards: None

Yes, even with its old-fashioned gender roles and not too much drama, this was still an endearing story. I would have adored it as a child. There's something about a story of resourceful children doing well that I just loved. I had been told to look for the original edition. ( )

This book is a good book to use for beginner chapter book readers. It helps give children a light into the chapter book world and helps them feel like they are reading a big chapter book. ( )