readingthroughtheages's review
4.0
Would be a good read aloud for 1st and 2nd grade! And an introduction to historical fiction!
areidj's review
4.0
Gary D. Schmidt is one of my all-time favorite authors (The Wednesday Wars, Okay for Now). This book was co-authored with his late wife, Elizabeth, which makes it rather bittersweet. Perfect book to read to a young child on a snowy day!
southern_librarian's review
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Just a lovely little J book. It's the traveling tale of Samuel and his day who set out on a cold and snowy day to visit neighbors and do some trading. Their goal: to bring home a milk cow for the wife/mom and daughter/sister. They start with a good quality knife... will they get a cow? It's such a sweet story. In just a few short chapters the author does a great job with character development and atmosphere. It's not explicitly a Christmas book, but it does take place on a snowy day and has the plot point of trying to get a gift the rest of the family, so it fit perfectly in the holiday season.
libraryrobin's review
3.0
A boy and his father head out on a snowy winter's day, making a series of trades to get the milk cow his mother wished for.
afro75's review
3.0
Bartering and Trading is the subject of A long Road on a Short Day. A boy and his father set out on a journey to fulfill his mother's wish. At each stop the boy has to determine what a fair trade is and what he's willing to give up to fulfill his mother's wish. Definitely good for fans of Little House on the Prairie style writing.
nadjatiktinsky's review
This is the perfect first chapter book, in my opinion - ideal for introducing a young, picture-book-aged child to the concept of a novel. Papa and Samuel want to get a milk cow for Mama, but all they have to part with is a small Barlow knife. They go from farm to farm, making trades until they have a cow. Each chapter ends with a small cliffhanger into the next, and each chapter header includes a picture clue to the next item to be traded for. It's a clean-cut structure for teaching the way that chapters exist as units but build on each other to create a more complex story.
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