- a teacher brings a lot of hope to a small village in Alaska, set in 1948
- pros: upbeat, encourages lifelong learning, simple words, unique view into Alaskan culture
- cons: poor writing style*, pushes socialism values**
- language: jeez x1, stupid x1
Type: chapter book
Ages: 8-12
Author: Kirkpatrick Hill
First, let me say I’m aware most people love this book…this is just my opinion. 😉
*The author was trying to sound like a young girl (who told the story in first person), but it irked me. It was not done well at all.
**Think John Dewey, whole-word (look-say) methods, etc. Read “Crimes of the Educators” if you don’t know what I’m talking about.
Boy, what I wouldn’t give for a slew of good chapter books whose families homeschool! I just get tired of these government school stories.
One neat part of the book, I will say, is how the teacher was the first one to figure out how to teach the deaf girl…and the whole village started learning ASL. I loved that.
I wouldn’t say you should never read this book. It’s not terrible…but I certainly hope to never read it again. 😁