Sara, Plain and Tall

By Ashley, Cherise, and Tobias

Chapter Summaries

1 2 34 5 67 8 9

Questions Vocabulary

Vocabulary Work

1 2 34 5 67 8 9

Questions Summaries

Chapter Questions

1 2 34 5 67 8 9

Vocabulary Summaries

Chapter One

Caleb is talking to Anna about their mom. Caleb likes to hear stories about her. She died the day after Caleb was born.

Papa talks to the children about Sarah coming to live with them. Sarah wrote to them about coming to live with them.

Chapter Two

The chapter takes place in the winter. Anna, Caleb, and Papa got their letters, Anna’s letter came first. We learned that Sarah can braid hair and that she has a pet cat named Seal because he is gray like the seals that live in the sea.

Chapter Three

Papa went to get Sarah. Caleb and Anna were worried that Sarah wouldn’t like then when she got there. Sarah arrived at the house. She is already feeling lonely because she misses the sea.

Chapter FourSarah had a collection of shells and if you put the shell to your ear, you can hear the sea. Caleb was the only one who talked to Sarah from dawn till night.

Sarah and Caleb picked flowers- paintbrush, clover, and prairie violets.

Sarah told Caleb about the Wolly ragwort that grows by the sea. He made a song about it.

Sarah taught them a song called “Summer Is Icumen In”.

Anna and Caleb took Sarah to see the sheep. She found a dead lamb and was very sad. Papa went with a shovel to bury it.

Anna, Caleb, Papa, and Sarah talked about their first words. Sarah’s was “dune”, Caleb’s was “windmill”, and Anna’s was “flower” (Tobias’ first word was “Mommy”).

Sarah missed the dunes home in Maine, and Papa wanted to make her feel better so he made one out of hay for her. They all slid down.Chapter Work

Chapter Five

Chapter SixCaleb and Anna were telling

Sarah about the winter time and how they got to school. They talked about how they built snowmen when they had snow days.

Sarah took the children to learn how to swim in the cow pond.

Chapter SevenMatthew and Maggie, the neighbors came to visit. Maggie brought chickens for Sarah, and she also brought her flowers. Maggie and Sarah planted the flowers in a new garden. Sarah and Maggie talked about how they missed the sea and the hills. Sarah decided she must learn how to drive the wagon.

Chapter EightSarah and Papa were working on fixing the roof but then a storm came in. Sarah, Papa, Lily, and Caleb all gathered hay to sleep on, and brought all the animals inside. They waited in the barn until morning. When they woke up they saw hail covering the ground.

Chapter Nine

After the storm, Papa taught Sarah how to drive the wagon and ride a horse. Sarah then took the wagon into town to get candles and colored pencils that were the colors of the sea. Lily and Caleb felt very sad when Sarah was gone, but they were relieved when she came home to them. At the end of the book, it told how Papa and Sarah decided that they were going to get married. Papa said that when he is asked whether or not he will marry Lily at the wedding, he will say “Ayuh!”

Vocabulary – Ch.1

• Flounder: A type of fish• Received: When you get something

from someone, you receive it (“I received a new toy”)

• Else: Otherwise, instead of• Envelope: A pocket for a letter

Vocabulary – Ch. 2

• Enclosing: To close in• Bonnet: A cloth or straw hat tied

under the chin and worn by women and children

• Greetings• Envelope• Flounder

Vocabulary – Ch. 3

• Suspenders• Climbed• Windbreak

Vocabulary – Ch. 4

• Paddock• Ceiling• Brides• Prairie• Ayuh• Echoed

Vocabulary – Ch. 5

• Coarse• Exclaimed• Sneezed• Formed

Vocabulary – Ch. 6

• Reins• Chanted• Tumbleweed

• Dandelion- a common weed with yellow flowers. The dandelion grew in our yard.

• Neighbor- one who lives near another. My neighbor lives in a brown house.

• Whickering- to whinny or neigh. The black horse was whickering to the horses in the other field.

• Dahlias- a perennial plant with large showy flowers. Our dahlias were planted next to the house.

• Nasturtiums

Vocabulary – Ch. 7

Vocabulary – Ch. 8• Sly- clever and deceiving, calculating. The sly fox walked

toward the chicken coop.• Weary- Tired, fatigued, physically or mentally exhausted.

The weary man was walking slowly.• Squall- A sudden violent wind that usually brings rain,

snow, or sleet with it. A squall blew into the city of Moscow.

• Pungent- Powerful or strong odor or flavor. The pungent smell of burnt popcorn came from the kitchen.

• Bleating- the crying of a goat, sheep, or calf.The calf was bleating because it was hungry.

Vocabulary – Ch. 9

• Hailstones• Armful• Damaged• Hitched

Questions – Ch. 1

• Why did Caleb want to hear the story about his mom and what she looked like?

• How did the mom die?• What was Papa looking for in his

letter to the town?

Answer

Questions – Ch. 2

• What are Sarah’s favorite colors?• What does Sarah want Papa to tell

the children she can do?• What kind of book did Sarah send?

Answer

Questions – Ch. 3

• What did Sarah say rolled like the sea?

• What did Sarah give to Anna?• What did Sarah give to Caleb?

Answer

Questions – Ch. 4

• Who did Lottie and Nick like to sleep with, and why?

• Why does Caleb get excited when he hears Sarah say the word “later”?

• Why does Sarah talk differently?

Answer

Questions – Ch. 5

• What did Sarah miss and why?• Why did Papa bury the lamb?

Answer

Questions – Ch. 6

• Who didn’t know how to swim?• How did Sarah react when she found

out that Caleb couldn’t swim?

Answer

Questions – Ch. 7

•Why was Sarah sad about her house?

•Why was Matthew glad that Sarah moved in?

•Why did Sarah not need to drive wagons back home in Maine?

Answer

Questions – Ch. 8

• Why were Lily and Caleb worried when Sarah wanted to drive to town alone?

• What did Sarah run back out into the storm to get?

Answer

Questions – Ch. 9

• Why did Sarah take the apples into the barn?

• Why did the dogs go running down the road barking?

• Why did Caleb cry harder when Sarah returned?

Answer

Answers – Ch. 1

• Caleb wanted to learn more about their mother.

• The children’s mother died the day after Caleb was born.

• Someone to help take care of his family and it was Sarah.

Answers – Ch. 2

• Blue, gray, and green• She can sing• A book about seabirds

Answers – Ch. 3

• The grassy hills• A stone• A seashell

Answers – Ch. 4

• Sarah, because they loved her first.• Because it meant she would stay• Because she’s from a different part

of the country (Maine)

Answers – Ch. 5

• The sea, her brother, and the dunes because she was homesick for Maine.

• Because Sarah was upset it died, and she didn’t want anyone to come near it. She was afraid the birds would eat it.

Answers – Ch. 6

• Caleb• She was surprised. She wanted him

to learn.

Answers – Ch. 7

• Because her brother was getting married and him and his wife were taking over the house and moving in.

• Because now Maggie has a new friend. She missed her old friends.

• Because she could walk to town in Maine.

Answers – Ch. 8

• Because they were worried that Sarah might leave them and go back home to William.

• Her chickens

Answers – Ch. 9

• To feed Ol’ Bess and Jack• Because they heard Sarah returning

to the house in the wagon• He said it was because Seal missed

Sarah, but really he was just so happy to see her again and know that she wasn’t really leaving them