Under a Living Sky

( 1 )

Overview

Mary is certain that her parents are giving her new shoes for Christmas, but the Depression has hit her Saskatchewan farming family hard. Mary tries to hide her disappointment when she receives a crude homemade doll instead. She ends up liking the doll much more than she expects, but the doll fuels the rivalry between Mary and her older sister, Judith. Then, when the doll disappears a few weeks later during a snowstorm, Mary and Judith's relationship changes once again.

January 20, 2006. Canadian Review of Materials discusses UaLS's place in the school curriculum:"...The book does provide an authentic look at the effects of the Depression on a prairie ...

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More About This Book

Overview

Mary is certain that her parents are giving her new shoes for Christmas, but the Depression has hit her Saskatchewan farming family hard. Mary tries to hide her disappointment when she receives a crude homemade doll instead. She ends up liking the doll much more than she expects, but the doll fuels the rivalry between Mary and her older sister, Judith. Then, when the doll disappears a few weeks later during a snowstorm, Mary and Judith's relationship changes once again.

January 20, 2006. Canadian Review of Materials discusses UaLS's place in the school curriculum:"...The book does provide an authentic look at the effects of the Depression on a prairie farm family in Saskatchewan, and for this reason

it is a useful novel for teaching about this period in Canadian history... Recommended."

Elizabeth Fresse at BarnesandNoble.com:

"... useful for a unit about the Depression and how people lived during that time...also great for talking about family relationships."

Award:

Listed among the five winners of the 2006 Family Friendly Book Awards at the Christian Book Fair International. "Given in recognition of remarkably refreshing books" that, in the words of the founder, Rev. C. Paschal Eze, "bring Christian moral values to the fore while helping to promote reading as a tool for family bonding, relaxation and individual

mental and spiritual development."

Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature
Mary is a young girl living during the depression with her parents, older sister, and younger brother. She hopes for only one thing this Christmas, and that is to get some new shoes--not the used ones that her sister Judith has outgrown. When Christmas morning arrives and Mary receives a homemade doll instead of shoes, her disappointment is hard to hide. The situation gets worse when Judith, who always seems to make life hard for Mary, gets even meaner when Mary starts to like her doll. Then the doll disappears, and so does Judith's bad attitude. Mary and Judith become good friends and Mary is really looking forward to attending school next year with Judith. When Mary discovers that her missing doll was actually buried by Judith during a hailstorm, she has a big decision to make. This book would be very useful for a unit about the Depression and how people lived during that time. Some of the events in this book include going to the Christmas program in the horse-drawn sleigh during a snowstorm, and the family getting their very own radio. It would also be great for talking about family relationships. Mary has to make some decisions as to how to relate to her sister, and the whole family is dealing with the fact that their mother recently suffered a miscarriage. This book is part of the "Orca Young Readers" series. 2005, Orca Book Publishers, Ages 8 to 11.
—Elizabeth Fresse
Resource Links
"Older readers who are interested in historical fiction will likely enjoy this book . . ."

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781417685165
  • Publisher: San Val
  • Publication date: 11/28/2005
  • Format: Library Binding
  • Age range: 8 - 11 Years

Customer Reviews

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 20, 2007

    Set in the 30s, but timeless

    A warm story with undercurrents of tension and distress. Mary, her tormenting sister and her struggling parents, are very real, and their life during the Depression will give many opportunities for parent (or grandparent) and child discussions about food, technology, poverty. This book is engaging for an adult, even without a child to read to.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
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