Shelly's Book Blog

I finished two more Newbery Medal winners: Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (1986) and Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George (1973). Sarah, Plain and Tall is very short, really more of a short story, but beautifully written. It is about a family living on the prairie in the 19th century who have lost their wife/mother. Jacob (the father) puts an ad in the paper for a mail-order bride, and Sarah answers the ad. She comes to live with the family for one month to see how things go. Anna and Caleb, the children, like her right away and are afraid that she will miss her home in Maine too much and leave them. We discover during the narrtative that Sarah is not only "plain and tall" but also quite cabable. She gives everyone a hair cut, helps Jacob fix the roof, and drives a wagon on her own. This is a quiet story with not much conflict, but I liked seeing a strong female character and positive, warm family relationships.

Julie of the Wolves is about an Eskimo girl with two names: Miyax, her Eskimo name, and Julie, her American name. It seems appropriate that the author gives her main character two names because Miyax/Julie also has two identities that are at odds with each other throughout the story. Miyax is only thirteen but she is married to a boy named Daniel. Unhappy with her situation, Miyax runs away with the intention of going to San Francisco to live with a friend. However, Miyax becomes lost and must survive in the Alaskan wilderness on her own. George provides detailed descriptions of Eskimo survival techniques which I found very interesting. I admire people who have the know-how to live in such an inhospitable climate. Julie makes friends with a pack of wolves, and they help each other to survive. Miyax must make a choice between her two worlds at the end, and I was surprised by her decision. I liked this book, but it is not as exciting as other survival/adventure stories such as Hatchet. It is more about the culture clash in which Miyax/Julie is caught, and there are not as many edge-of-your-seat moments.