Scared Sarah (New Beginnings) by Mary Alice Downie Date of Publication: 2002 ISBN: 1550417142 Number of Pages: 57

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: Junior: Average Intermediate: Low
GENRES: Historical Fiction
THEMES : Family - Loyalty - Appearance versus Reality - Coming of Age

SUMMARY:
Sarah is terrified of everything, much to the amusement of her four brothers and sisters. Of course, when you are living in Upper Canada in 1836, there are a few dangers that do require your respect. Still, Sarah is afraid she'll never be able to overcome her fears. When she discovers her friend Bright Fire's special medicine bag lying on the path, she decides she'll borrow it for a little while and see if its legendary powers can help her be brave. When she suffers a crisis of conscience, however, Sarah decides she has to return the bag...even if it means facing her fears and traveling to the Ojibwa camp all by herself!

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...
- has newly arrived in Canada or is feeling like a "new kid"
- likes stories about pioneers and early Canadian settlement
- likes stories about First Nations people and the way they lived
- is interested in Canadian history
- is picked on by others, including siblings
- needs to overcome fears and self-doubt

WHAT ELSE?
This book is from the New Beginnings series by Fitzhenry and Whiteside, which focuses on stories about children 8-11 facing the challenges of adapting to life in a new culture. They are an odd trim size (a cross between a novel and a picture book), but the text is reminiscent of an easy chapter book. There are beautiful realistic illustrations, extensive research, a glossary, an index, and even biographies of the author and illustrator in each one.

RELATED LINK:
For information about the author, check out www.track0.com/ogwc/authors/downie_m.html