The Courage of Sarah Noble

Dalgliesh, Alice & Weisgard, Leonard (Illustrator). The Courage of Sarah Noble. Aladdin Books, 1991. ISBN 0-689-71540-4

Plot

Eight year old Sarah Noble is on an important journey with her father, John. In 1707 they travel from the Massachusetts colony into the wilderness of Connecticut to build a new home for their family. Her mother told her, "Keep up your courage." Sarah remembers this as night falls and animal sounds fill the air. She is comforted by the cloak her mother fastened around her as she left home. Her father reassures her that she is safe with him. Their horse, Thomas, is tied up nearby. Along the way they meet the Robinson family and spend the night with them. The next day Sarah and her father arrive in the valley where they will build their new home. Sarah is worried about the Indians. Young Lemuel Robinson told her to be afraid of them. Her father assures her that the Indians there are friendly. They set up camp near a cave, and Sarah cooks for her father. The next day Sarah sits reading her Bible when a group of Indian children approach. She is afraid, but she knows that if she keeps reading she will be safe. The children run off when she stops reading, but they return and become her friends. She teaches them words in English, and the Indian children show her where to find wild strawberries. Their father, Tall John welcomes Sarah to their home. When Sarah's house is finished, her father leaves Sarah with Tall John and his family while he retrieves the rest of the Noble family. Sarah is welcomed into Tall John's family. She even wears Indian clothes and moccasins. When her father and family arrive, she is reluctant to put on her old clothes. She forgoes her heavy boots and continues to wear her moccasins.

Critical Evaluation

This story was written in 1954. The language used sounds very proper and formal, yet it is accessible to young children. The illustrations by popular children's illustrator Leonard Weisgard make the story vivid. This story would be a captivating read aloud for younger children and a great read for younger tweens. The seriousness of Sarah's situation in the wilderness is accurately portrayed, but there is never an overwhelming sense of danger. The friendship that develops between Sarah and Tall John's family is a good example of the enduring value of tolerance and acceptance across cultures.

Annotations

Sarah Noble travels with her father to Connecticut to help him as he builds a new home for their family. When the house is complete, Sarah is left with a neighboring Indian family. Her family arrives and finds her well cared for.

Author

Alice Dalgliesh also wrote Newbery Honor books The Silver Pencil and The Bears on Hemlock Mountain.

Genre

Fiction – Historical, based on a true story

Curriculum Ties

Language arts

Social Sciences – American colonial history

Booktalk Ideas

Ask listeners to imagine that they are traveling by foot and by horse to a wilderness where they will help their father build a new house for their family. Ask them to comment on what they think that would be like. Then read the first chapter of the story.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Grade 3 (age 8) and up.

Challenge Issues and Defense

The stereotypical portrayal of Indian culture is overshadowed in a positive way by the story's enduring message of acceptance and tolerance. Newbery Honor book.

Why is it here?

This story is a great resource for exploring the reality of life in early America in a thoughtful way that is appropriate for young readers.