Family Reminders

Danneberg, Julie. 2009. Family Reminders. Charlesbridge. 105 pages.

Everything about this one says that it's a good, old-fashioned, family-friendly chapter book. (And that's not a bad thing. That was one of the things that made it seem so inviting to me.) It's historical fiction. Set around the turn of the century--mid to late 1890s--in a mining town in Colorado, it's the story of a family who goes through a bit of rough time. Our narrator is a young girl named Mary. She loves everything about her life--most especially her father. But when he is injured in a mining accident, and one of his legs is amputated, the family has some adjusting to do. Refusing to take charity, they must find a way--together, as a family--to make it work. What can Mary do to help her family, to help her father?

I loved the illustrations by John Shelley.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers