Recommendations based on Sarah, Plain and Tallby Patricia MacLachlan

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Tuck Everlasting

    by Natalie Babbitt
    A young girl discovers the secret of a family that has found the key to eternal life.

    12-year-old Winifred "Winnie" Foster is frustrated with her family because they keep her cooped up in the house, and considers running away from her home in rural Treegap. One day, while in a wooded ... (Wikipedia)

  2. Little House on the Prairie

    by Laura Ingalls Wilder
    A family's journey of settling and persevering on the American Frontier.

    Meet Laura Ingalls, the little girl who would grow up to write the Little House books. Pa Ingalls decides to sell the little log house, and the family sets out for Indian country! They travel from ... (Goodreads)

  3. The Little House Collection

    by Laura Ingalls Wilder
    Series of stories recounting a pioneer family's journey through the American West.

    This nine-book paperback box set of the classic series features the classic black-and-white artwork from Garth Williams. The nine books in the timeless Little House series tell the story of Laura’s ... (Goodreads)

  4. The Witch of Blackbird Pond

    by Elizabeth George Speare
    A young girl's struggles to find her place in a Puritan Connecticut town.

    In April 1687, 16-year-old Katherine Tyler (known throughout the story as Kit Tyler) leaves her home in Barbados after her grandfather dies and a 50-year-old man tries to marry her. She relocates to ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Bridge to Terabithia

    by Katherine Paterson
    A young girl and boy's adventures in a secret kingdom, overcoming the harsh realities of life.

    Artistic young Jess Aarons deals with the hardships of his home life, such as his duties on his family's farm and the annoyances of his four sisters. Leslie Burke is an intelligent, wealthy girl who ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Where the Red Fern Grows

    by Wilson Rawls
    A young boy embarks on an adventure with his beloved hunting dogs, learning valuable life lessons.

    An old man named Billy Colman rescues a redbone hound under attack by neighborhood dogs. He takes it home with him so that its wounds can heal. In light of this event, he has a flashback to when he ... (Wikipedia)

  7. The Good Earth

    by Pearl S. Buck
    A story of humble farmers facing the struggles of poverty and the upheaval of social change.

    The story begins on Wang Lung 's wedding day and follows the rise and fall of his fortunes. The House of Hwang, a family of wealthy landowners, lives in the nearby town, where Wang Lung's future ... (Wikipedia)

  8. Julie of the Wolves

    by Jean Craighead George
    A young girl's journey to find her true identity, guided by a pack of wolves.

    Julie/Miyax (My-yax) is an Inuk girl torn between modern Alaska and the old Inuit tradition . After her mother's death, she is raised by her father Kapugen (Kah-Pue-Jen). In his care, Miyax becomes ... (Wikipedia)

  9. These Happy Golden Years

    by Laura Ingalls Wilder
    A young girl's journey of self-discovery as she moves through adulthood.

    As the novel begins, Pa is taking Laura 12 miles from home in the dead of winter to her first teaching assignment at Brewster settlement. Laura being only 15 and a schoolgirl herself, is apprehensive ... (Wikipedia)

  10. Johnny Tremain

    by Esther Forbes
    A young apprentice's journey of bravery, patriotism and heroism during the American Revolution.

    The story begins on July 23, 1773, in the Boston silversmith shop of elderly Ephraim Lapham, where Johnny is a promising 14-year-old apprentice. It is understood that someday he will marry Mr. ... (Wikipedia)

  11. Anne of Avonlea

    by L.M. Montgomery
    A young girl's coming-of-age in rural Prince Edward Island, full of adventures and misadventures.

    Anne is about to start her first term teaching at the Avonlea school, although she will still continue her studies at home with Gilbert, who is teaching at the nearby White Sands School. The book ... (Wikipedia)

  12. Maniac Magee

    by Jerry Spinelli
    A young orphan boy, Jeffrey Lionel Magee, becomes a legend in a racially divided town by bringing people together through his incredible feats of athleticism and kindness.

    Jeffrey Lionel Magee's parents were killed in a trolley accident when a drunk driver crashed and sunk it into the river in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania , orphaning him at age three. After living with his ... (Wikipedia)

  13. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

    by E.L. Konigsburg
    Two adventurous children who run away from home and hide in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

    When suburban Claudia Kincaid decides to run away, she knows she doesn’t just want to run from somewhere, she wants to run to somewhere — to a place that is comfortable, beautiful, and, preferably, ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Goose Girl

    by Shannon Hale
    A young princess must overcome great obstacles to reclaim her rightful throne.

    When crown princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee was born, she did not open her eyes until her aunt held her. The woman became her nursemaid and constant companion, nicknaming her Ani and telling ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Because of Winn-Dixie

    by Kate DiCamillo
    A girl's journey of self-discovery and healing, as she finds friendship in an unlikely companion.

    Kate DiCamillo's beloved, best-selling debut novel is now available in a paperback digest edition. Kate DiCamillo's first published novel, like Winn-Dixie himself, immediately proved to be a keeper—a ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Very Hungry Caterpillar

    by Eric Carle
    A caterpillar's journey of growth and transformation to becoming a butterfly.

    THE all-time classic story, from generation to generation, sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! Have you shared it with a child or grandchild in your life? One sunny Sunday, the caterpillar ... (Goodreads)

  17. Hattie Big Sky

    by Kirby Larson
    A young girl's adventure of resilience, determination and courage in the wilds of Montana.

    The novel is set during World War I . Hattie Brooks, a sixteen-year-old orphan who has tired of being shuttled between relatives she hardly knows, receives a letter from an uncle who has recently ... (Wikipedia)

  18. The Shell Seekers

    by Rosamunde Pilcher
    A family explores their past, present, and future while examining the importance of treasured objects.

    Shifting in time, the novel tells the story of Penelope Keeling, the daughter of unconventional parents (an artist father and his much-younger French wife), examining her past and her relationships ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

    by Bill Martin Jr.
    A playful story of letters competing to climb a coconut tree.

    The 26 characters in this rhythmic, rhyming baby book are a lowercase alphabet with attitude. "A told b, and b told c, 'I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree'"–which probably seemed like a ... (Goodreads)

  20. Catherine, Called Birdy

    by Karen Cushman
    An adolescent girl's story of rebellion, seeking freedom in a restrictive society.

    The following is a description of the novel as it appears on the cover: "[T]he fourteen-year-old daughter of an English country knight keeps a journal in which she records the events of her life, ... (Wikipedia)

  21. The Screwtape Letters

    by C.S. Lewis
    A series of letters between two devils, providing a window into human nature and morality.

    The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis is a classic masterpiece of religious satire that entertains readers with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the vantage point of ... (Goodreads)

  22. Walk Two Moons

    by Sharon Creech
    A young girl embarks on a road trip with her grandparents to find her missing mother, while reflecting on her own life and relationships.

    The novel is narrated by a 13-year-old girl named Salamanca (Sal). Sal's mother has recently left Sal's father, and Sal's grandparents are taking her on a cross-country car trip to Lewiston, Idaho to ... (Wikipedia)

  23. The Wheel on the School

    by Meindert DeJong
    A small Dutch village comes together to bring storks back to their town. A heartwarming tale of community and perseverance.

    Lina is one of six school children in the small fishing village of Shora. When she writes an essay for school that asks why there are no storks in their village, she sets all the others to wondering. ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Inside Out & Back Again

    by Thanhha Lai
    A young girl and her family flee Vietnam, adapting to a new life in America.

    Inside Out and Back Again is a story about a young girl named Kim Hà and her family, consisting of her Mother and three brothers, being forced to move to the United States because the Vietnam War had ... (Wikipedia)

  25. Emily of New Moon

    by L.M. Montgomery
    A young girl's coming of age story, learning to embrace her unique imagination and identity.

    Similar to her earlier and more famous, Anne of Green Gables, series, the Emily novels depicted life through the eyes of a young orphan girl, Emily Starr , who is raised by her relatives after her ... (Wikipedia)

  26. Unveiled: Tamar

    by Francine Rivers
    A woman's journey of faith in a difficult time, and the power of God's love to overcome.

    Book 1 in the 5-book biblical historical fiction series by the, New York Times, bestselling author of, Redeeming Love, and, A Voice in the Wind., Betrayed by the men who controlled her future, she ... (Goodreads)

  27. The Boxcar Children

    by Gertrude Chandler Warner
    Four orphaned siblings find adventure and solace in a deserted boxcar, learning the value of family and friendship.

    The Aldens begin their adventure by making a home in a boxcar. Their goal is to stay together, and in the process they find a grandfather. ... (Goodreads)

  28. All Quiet on the Western Front

    by Erich Maria Remarque
    A soldier's harrowing experience of the horrors of war.

    The book tells the story of Paul Bäumer, who belongs to a group of German soldiers on the Western Front during World War I . The patriotic speeches of his teacher Kantorek had led the whole class to ... (Wikipedia)

  29. The View from Saturday

    by E.L. Konigsburg
    Four sixth graders and their teacher compete in a trivia contest, revealing their unique stories and bond.

    How has Mrs. Olinski chosen her sixth-grade Academic Bowl team? She had a number of answers. But were any of them true? How had she really chosen Noah and Nadia and Ethan and Julian? And why did they ... (Goodreads)

  30. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies

    by Alexander McCall Smith
    The sixth book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, following the adventures of Mma Ramotswe and her friends in Botswana.

    Mma Ramotswe and her new husband settle down to married life with their foster-children, but problems are piling up. The tenant of Mr JLB Matekoni's house is running an illegal drinking den. Then ... (Wikipedia)