Jim Baumgardner may just be my new favorite author! Anna and I have two more chapters left in the first book of the Sarah Books series and we are loving every minute of the adventure.
A little background on the author, Jim Baumgardner. If anyone knows about the nineteenth century time period about which he writes, it is definitely Mr. Baumgardner! Living in Wichita, Kansas, he can step back to that time period almost daily as he volunteers at the Old Cowtown Museum. He has also traced his family tree back to Kansas beginning in 1879. At just 10 years old, he began writing poems and songs, and with some encouragement from his father, Mr. Baumgardner continued writing and had his first article published in a magazine at 19 years old. Forty years after he first began writing those poems, his first book, Sarah’s Wish, was published.
That first book is the one I was able to review over the last several weeks. Right from the very first sentence, I was hooked on this thrilling story of a little girl in 1858 as she deals with the exciting ups and the very hard downs of life. Tragedy strikes when young Sarah, age 11, and her mother are riding their horse and buggy. A snake spooks the horse who runs frantically down the lane and into the meadow not to be stopped even when the buggy overturns, spilling its riders. Sarah’s arm is broken but her mother does not make it through the terrible accident and thus begins a very different life than what Sarah has always known. And, she makes her wish – for a family.
Between slave traders, secrets and promises, riverboat rides and southern twang, this book was better than a movie!
What I enjoyed the most about this book is the rich historical content. Mr. Baumgardner worked very hard to include accurate details of that era in our nation’s history. He studied the Slave Narratives (ancestry.com) in-depth to gain a better understanding of a life in bondage. He dug deep into “Thrills of the Historic Ohio River” by Frank Y. Grayson to get a better picture of the riverboats of the day. His work at The Old Cowtown Museum played a part in his understanding of life in those days.
I want my children to be reading stories that will enrich their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. There is a lot of nonsense out there and its easy to assume that because they are reading instead of playing a video game or watching TV, they must be okay. The Sarah Books are solid pieces of literature that will peak your children’s interest long after the first time they’ve read them.
At the beginning of the book, the author also includes a glossary of terms used in the book that we would not understand. At the back of the book, there was a code which allowed me to download a free audio of the book from eLive at Tate Publishing’s website. The Sarah Books website also includes lots more information about the author, his extensive dealings with homeschoolers (his grandbabies are homeschooled!), the Underground Railroad, excerpts of the other books in the series and instructions on how to sign-up for the newsletter.
Pricing (found at Amazon.com)
Sarah’s Wish – $10.99 (list price), on sale for $9.34 (and eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25)
Sarah’s Promise - $14.99 (list price), on sale for $11.69 (and eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25)
Sarah’s Escape - $21.99 (list price), on sale for $17.15 (and eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25)
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