History

My Brother Sam is Dead is the story of a boy whose brother rebels against his father to join the colonial army in the Revolutionary War. There are many good things to recommend about this story and some warnings to give also.

The boy, Tim Meeker, is witness to the chaotic events of the war. The book gives a good description of the confusion of the times with occupying armies and defiant citizens, senseless death and seemingly cruel punishments. Tim's brother, Sam, joins the patriot army against his father's wishes and even returns to steal his father's gun. Sam's father is a staunch loyalist and scandalized by his son's behavior. The father has also had a taste of war in the French and Indian war and does not want his son to have to experience the horror of it. The son thinks he knows better.

As the war progresses, and goods become scarce, armies on both sides resort to commandeering or stealing for food and supplies. Tim's father is arrested as he is bringing a load of supplies to the tavern he runs and Sam is arrested for stealing cows, which he did not steal. Tim's father dies on a British prison ship and Sam is executed by his own army for theft. The scene of the execution is somewhat unsettling as are other scenes like it in the book.

This is definitely an anti-war story. The authors end the book by asking if we might have been able to accomplish independence without a war. Throughout the story the atrocities of war are reflected upon by Tim and there are many quotes by Tim's father about the price of war, such as, "In war, the dead pay the debts of the living." This slant by the author would make a great subject for discussion.

Another very interesting aspect of story is that the rebellion of the son to his father directly parallels the rebellion of the colonies to the father country, England. The exchanges between father and son could be laid right across the colonies and England. Yet another interesting aspect is the irony of the deaths of father and son. Father, as a loyalist, dies in a prison ship as a prisoner of the country he professes and Sam, as a rebel, dies at the end of an firing squad of his fellow patriots. All of these make this book a great vehicle for discussion of author's bias and purpose, of literary devices such as irony and story structure, and finally of the ideas behind the war itself.

However, there is one great drawback to the story. There is an enormous amount of swearing in it, including taking the Lord's name. If it were just once or twice, you might be able to overlook it, but one teacher I know counted and found over fifty instances of swearing. If you want your children to have the experience of the book, you might consider reading it aloud and editing out the swearing as you read. However, there are many other books available which discuss the ideas of the Revolutionary War while avoiding this drawback.

Published by CCC Animated Video
This story of St. Nicholas is very appealing for little ones and portrays him as an excellent example of charity and love for the poor. If you're trying to encourage a more religious understanding of Santa Claus (which is Dutch for Saint Nicholas), I

Although North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell is a novel that deals with a complexity of social issues related to the industrialization of Victorian England, it is the development of Margaret and Mr. Thornton’s relationship that carries the day. At nineteen, Margaret Hale is forced to deal with a series of dramatic changes that effect her life, eventually transforming her into a young woman who can think and reason for herself regardless of social mores.

Having spent her whole life in the south of England, Margaret is devastated when she hears the news that she will have to leave her beloved home. After wrestling with his conscience, her father feels compelled to leave his small, pastoral parish in the south for a job tutoring in the industrial north.

The book, however, is not really about the two contrasting cultures of the north and south, so much as a coming-of-age story about a young Victorian woman, against the backdrop of rebelling mill workers, and how she must also wrestle with her conscience in the many conflicting situations that arise.

The story hinges on the word “change.” Margaret deals with the changing religious beliefs of her father and brother, the changing relationships between master/owner and worker/servant, and the changing expectations of family roles, among many other issues.

The story is also about changes that happen to Margaret. She is transplanted to a new home, city, and environment with different societal attitudes and mores; in fact, a radically different world, society is changing (the world is becoming more industrial), and those around her are changing and leaving.

From the story’s opening, Margaret deals with a series of changes that impact her life. Her cousin, who she grew up intimately with as a sister, marries and moves away. Soon after, Margaret receives a proposal of marriage, which she is unprepared for and takes her by surprise. Then her father announces they are to move. When she arrives in Milton, the changes seem to intensify and multiply, piling one on top of the other, overwhelming her and crushing her spirit until she collapses, her conscience shattered. It is only at this point, when she recognizes her esteem of Mr. Thornton’s good opinion, that she begins to let down her self-righteous facade and opens herself up for love.

North and South is a most remarkable book in that it generates discussion. It is a book of class distinctions, social mores, workers’ rights vs. owners’ rights, a woman struggling to live out Christian principles in a secular world, pride vs. humility, and much more.

It is about a woman who bucks the system, but not because of self-centered reasons, so much as striving to put Christian principles into action. While the backdrop is the workers rebelling against the “masters,” Margaret is rebelling against the social mores of class and gender, especially concerning the relationships between men and women and in particular regarding marriage. At nineteen, she is unsure of her feelings and thoughts and is struggling to make sense of it all. These multiple layers allow the reader to probe beyond the love story. While the social issues and especially the conflict between the owners and the workers may seem to take precedence; North and South is primarily a love story. It has been compared to Pride and Prejudice with greater depth because of the social issues.

Although North and South is a romantic tale, it mimics reality. As Margaret and Mr. Thornton’s relationship unfolds, it is filled with misunderstandings and frustrating circumstances that are not resolved until the end. As the tension builds between the mill workers and the owners, their relationship also seems to grow. Just when Margaret begins to see Mr. Thornton for the truly good person that he is, their relationship blows up along with the strikers festering discontent. Similar to the conflict between the owners and the workers, Margaret and Mr. Thornton’s relationship is likewise stalemated because they refuse to see the other side’s perspective. Impeded by their own human weaknesses, they seem blind to the goodness in the other and unable to rise above their human faults. It is their continual striving to do the right thing that sets things aright in the end.

Unlike the original Pride and Prejudice, Margaret is the one with both the pride and the prejudice. She has preconceived notions of Mr. Thornton and Milton even before she meets him or lives in Milton. Only after she lives there some time and is removed to the south again does she come to love and fully appreciate Milton and Mr. Thornton.

What adds greatly to the development of the story is how Gaskell deftly moves from one point of view to the other. She seems to know intuitively when to switch the point of view, so that just when we think we begin to understand a situation from one character’s point of view, we realize that from another’s, there is a totally different perspective. By doing so, Gaskell sheds light on the foundation of much conflict: misunderstanding.

There are also moments of tenderness and sweetness in the story, primarily on Mr. Thornton’s part. At the end of the story, his act of thoughtfulness is quite romantically touching.

Although I viewed the DVD first, inspiring me to read the book, I recommend reading the book first, since there are some major changes to the book, some are improvements and some are not. The character of Mr. Thornton has been altered. After I read the book, I went back and saw the movie again. There are many nuances related to what the characters are thinking and social mores that are not fully understood by watching the movie alone.

Gaskell does not offer pat answers to the complex problems of labor and management issues. She displays a definite understanding of both sides of the issues and proposes Christian ideals as solutions to the many problems.

Likewise, because of the constraints of the Victorian age, many of the misunderstandings between Margaret and Mr. Thornton are exacerbated. It is only through a Christian understanding of love that their relationship begins to blossom.

North and South is a book to read and reread again, because of the depth of the story and the many themes Gaskell addresses. Thoroughly entertaining and engaging, it is easy to immerse yourself in the lives of the characters. After many heart-wrenching struggles, Margaret emerges in the end a transformed and better person.

Although this story was written for an adult audience, it would be appropriate for high school age students. Edited for college use, The Norton Critical edition includes annotations, reviews written by her contemporaries, correspondence related to the novel, her short story “Lizzie Leigh,” recent critical essays, and more.

This Bethlehem Budget Book contains two books in one softcover volume: Old Sam, Thoroughbred Trotter (copyright 1955) and Old Sam and the Horse Thieves (copyright 1967).

Old Sam is the story of two young boys (ages 10 and 12) living in the wild Dakota Territory of the 1880s and their crippled - but extremely capable - horse named Old Sam. They are based on the author's own homesteading experiences as a young boy. Although there are similarities in time and location, unlike the Little House books which focus so much on family life, the Old Sam books are more like adventure stories about the two boys and their horse exploring the strange untamed land around them, "hunting" for wild animals and "bad guys" and proving to others how great Old Sam really is. A delightful story even on a very simple level, with many funny and interesting plot twists (I had to re-read favorite chapters aloud to Daddy at dinner time under persistent urging from my children), the book also portrays an important historical look at pioneer life and the author shares wisdom in experiences relating to using one's head, dealing with neighbors and the importance of courage, fortitude and basic competence. Naturally, the book makes especially great reading for boys and horse-lovers. Our family enjoyed this book so much as a read aloud that my husband and I ordered a number of copies for Christmas presents for our godchildren.

The second story focuses on Johnny and Old Sam's role in unraveling the problem of a band of horse-thieves plaguing the neighborhood. Although still quite young, Johnny's competence and fairness earn him the respect of the Sheriff and other important men of the town. A really great story, this is bound to be a family favorite. It is the sort of story that will likely help reluctant readers (especially boys in mid-grade school) learn to appreciate a really good book. It also touches upon some tough questions about fairness and justice that young readers can grapple with alongside the hero of the book.