Like a Willow Tree

Author: Lois Lowry

My recommended age: 9+

Their recommended age: 8+

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Number of pages:  224

Publisher’s description:

"Two-time Newbery Award-winning author Lois Lowry brings a brand-new, beautiful diary to the Dear America series!Suddenly orphaned by the Spanish flu epidemic in the fall of 1918, eleven-year-old Lydia Pierce and her fourteen-year-old brother, Daniel, of Portland, Maine, are taken by their uncle to be raised in the Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake. Thrust into the Shakers' unfamiliar way of life, Lydia must grapple with a new world that is nothing like the one she used to know.
Now separated from her beloved brother, for men and women do not mix in this community, Lydia must adjust to many changes. But in time, and with her courageous spirit, she learns to find the joy in life again.
Since she is separated from her beloved brother - for males and females do not live together in this communal village - Lydia is forced to adjust to the restrictions placed upon her once carefree, creative spirit all on her own."

My thoughts:

Again, I just love Dear Americas.  I had heard of the Shakers before, but it was in a history book, and was like 2 sentences long.  I knew they didn't marry, and the only way they repopulated was by newcomers.  But this book helped me see into their life ever so much better.  I now know so much more.  I also had never heard of the Spanish influenza.  And have been telling my family all sorts of odd facts about it, Thanks to this book.  

There were a few times I thought Lydia wasn't acting real.  She seemed at times not to really care what happened to her missing brother at all, I mean, if MY brother was missing, I would be out passing flyers and hunting him down.  Not waiting for another middle person to do so.  But she was pretty real in other ways.

Cons:

Somewhat unrealistic main Character.

Pros:

Tons of information packed in without knowing it.

Fun read.

Easy read.

Language:

None.

Romance and sexual content:

None.

Violence:

None.

Drugs and drink:

None.

 Ratings:

It was a so-so read. I liked the info, I liked the new story setting, and I liked the characters.  But some weren't great.  Some characters weren't all to realistic to me.  But, otherwise, I liked it, SO!  I am giving it a:

 

Where you can buy it at:

 Amazon has it for 9.09 and Scholastic for the same price.  Prices do not include shipping.

*I received this book from Scholastic Publishers.  I was neither paid nor made to do this, but did because I wanted to*