Our Farm: Four Seasons with Five Kids by Michael J. Rosen

Rosen spent two years on the farm in Ohio with the Bennett family, Mom and Dad, and the five Bennett kids, ranging in age from 17 to 4. He chronicles the year, through the seasons and through the voices of Caleb, Chase, Cayne, Grey, and Ali, along with Dave(Dad), and Becky(Mom) and the three family dogs.

His format is lively, awash in detailed photos and closeup scenes of every conceivable aspect of the farm, including the manure piles. He starts each section with numbers, as in Spring: By the Numbers, using data on cows and their production, chickens and their eggs, fish swimming in the pond and so on.

This reviewer grew up on a similar small farm and was captivated by the details, the explanations of farm processes, in the voices of the kids who live them each day. If you want to know about reaching under a hen for eggs, burying the beloved family dog, or feeling the squishy bottom of the pond on a hot summer's day, it's all here.

All ages.

Hattie Big Sky is outstanding book for young teens

When Hattie is orphaned at age 16, her uncle in Montana provides a home for her by willing his homestead to the young woman. She travels to the homestead on her own and begins the brave challenge of living on her own and surviving in wild Montana before the first world war.
The book is so well-written it won a Newbery Honor from the American Library Association this year. It is based on a true story from the family of the author, Kirby Larson, who sensitively reveals the triumphs and tangles of Hattie. Of particular interest is the sub-plot of neighbors who harass or shun those of German descent in the ranching community around Hattie and her friends. This is based on actual incidents and legislation resulting from accusations of sedition in the Dakotas and Montana at this period.