Sarah, Plain and Tall

Written by Patricia MacLachlan

Narrated by Glenn Close

This beloved Newbery Medal–winning book is the first of five books in Patricia MacLachlan's chapter book series about the Witting family.

Set in the late nineteenth century and told from young Anna's point of view, Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of how Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton comes from Maine to the prairie to answer Papa's advertisement for a wife and mother. Before Sarah arrives, Anna and her younger brother Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice? Will she sing? Will she stay?

This children's literature classic is perfect for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie books, historical fiction, and timeless stories using rich and beautiful language, and it's a strong choice for independent reading. Sarah, Plain and Tall gently explores themes of abandonment, loss, and love. 

Read the rest of the Sarah books by Patricia MacLachlan: Skylark, Caleb’s Story, More Perfect than the Moon, and Grandfather’s Dance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
• Release date: Nov 18, 2008
• ISBN: 9780061802157

Patricia MacLachlan

Patricia MacLachlan (1938-2022) was the celebrated author of many timeless books for young readers, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal. She was also the author of many beloved picture books, a number of which she cowrote with her daughter, Emily.

Reviews for Sarah, Plain and Tall

[teddiemitchell · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sarah, Plain and Tall is an excellent book about school teacher that answers an ad asking for a woman to come and become a wife and a mother. Sarah leaves her home in Maine to go to a farm on the frontier to meet the widower with two children, a girl, Anna, and a boy Caleb. Sarah has to decide whether or not she wants to stay on the farm and become a wife and a mother or go back home to Maine. I really enjoyed reading this book the first time I read it in Elementary school and the second time I read it also. It is an excellent story about overcoming a lose and moving on with your lives and fitting in to a new place.In the classroom i would have the girl students write about what they would do if they were Sarah and the boy students to write about what they would do if they were the Papa of the two children.

[tanya8dogearedcopy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sarah, Plain and Tallby Patricia MacLachlanPublished in 1985 by The Trumpet ClubWHO: Anna and her brother Caleb…WHAT: anticipate the arrival of a woman who responds to an ad placed by the children’s father for a wife and mother…WHERE: which necessitates travel to the plains of America on the part of the respondent, Sarah, who describes herself as “plain and tall”…WHEN: during what was probably the latter half of the19th century…WHY: to be a helpmeet on the farm as well as provide a place for herself as her place at home in Maine will be ceded to her sister-in-law…HOW: Through determination, Sarah will meet the challenges of plains life head on+ A slim volume with easily accessible language as well as details featuring life on the Plains makes this appealing to the full range of chapter book readers from ages 8-12. The book has an overall tenor of hope and optimism, never descending into dark sentiment (e.g. resentment) or indulging in fear (even during the squall scene) which provides a nice counterpoint to some of the children’s fare (e.g. Coraline (by Neil Gaiman) and Splendors and Glooms (by Laura Amy Schlitz)) that is currently on offering. - There is not quite enough detail to pinpoint the time in which the story is set. Given that America’s expansion onto the Plains started in earnest on and after 1862, I’m extrapolating that the story takes place in the latter half of the 19th century.n.b. - There is no sex, drugs, violence (to humans or animals), nor mention of religious life. OTHER: Daughter acquired paperback edition through Walker Elementary School’s Book Swap. Our new puppy chewed the copy my daughter had acquired and as I was repairing the damage, became interested in the book. I repaired the book, read it and returned it to my daughter’s bookshelf. I receive no monies, goods or services in exchange for reviewing the product and/or mentioning any of the persons or companies that are or may be implied in this post.

[ctpress_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“There are always things to miss," said Maggie. "No matter where you are.”Sarah, Plain and Tall is just everything I love in a Children’s book. Easy to understand for a little child, yet profound and filled with wisdom and poetic beauty that will grab the attention of every adult. A story about a widowed man and his two children who live on a farm - he puts an ad in the paper seeking a wife - and Sarah arrives - there’s a lot of speculation among the children about Sarah. Does she like them? Will she stay? Will she marry their father? Can she overcome her longing for the sea at home? They are all guessing and wondering what the future will bring in this period of learning to trust and understand each other. A story told in sparse language that resembles the simple, quiet, remote prairie life. A quick read, but one that will stay with me a long time.

[megjwal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlanThis Newberry winner is about a family living in Kansas. The mother has died so the father decides to ask for a woman to come be a mother to his children. Sarah Wheaton comes from Maine and has lived by the sea so is not used to life on the plains. She is about to change Caleb and Anna’s life forever bringing a cat named Seal and laughter to the household. Will she like them enough to stay? Anna and Caleb begin to hope she will.I love this story. It is a timeless tale of how people wrote letters and advertisements to get someone to help them or even marry them. I think Sarah is like me in a way. I knew nothing about country life when I first moved to where I live now, but I learned and can carry a decent conversation about it now.I would use this story with second through fourth graders. I would discuss getting a new member of the family and how difficult that could be. I would ask them to read the book and then write a story about how they would feel if they were in a situation like Anna and Caleb were in.

[teacherlibrarian_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Patricia MacLachlan. Sarah, Plain and Tall. NY: Harper Trophy,1985.Caleb and Anna are 2 children who live on the plains in the United Sates in the 1880s. Their mother has dies, and their father has placed an ad in the newspaper for a wife. A woman, Sarah, answers the ad. After she writes Papa and the children letters, and they write back, she says she will come for a visit for a month to just to decide. She comes from a place in Maine by the sea, and often speaks of the sea and her family back home. The children want a mother and they like Sarah. They watch her and listen to her talk of the sea and worry that she won’t want to stay with them on the Prairie. The language in Sarah, Plain and tall is spare, but full of meaning. When Anna, who is the narrator, describes her mother’s funeral, she says that afterward all the members of their extended family came and tried to fill the house but they couldn’t. Since the house is too small, she means that they can’t fill the place left empty by their mother’s death. The characterization is made subtlety, primarily through the characters’ dialog and actions. The characters are realistic. The children behave the way children who live alone with their father on the prairie would, needing the songs and the gentle touch of a mother. As any child would, they listen and watch Sarah from the moment she arrives to see if they’ll like her. Sarah is a plain-spoken person who pays attention to them and shares her love of her cat and the sea with them, making it believable that they would come to like her and want her to stay.The intended audience is children from 3rd to 4th grade up. Adults would enjoy it too.What makes Sarah, Plain and Tall unique is that it depicts a 19th century woman who is independent, speaks her own mind, and asserts herself, but this is not the central point of the book. This isn’t a book whose aim is to preach that woman are strong-minded and intelligent, Sarah just is. The aspect of this novel that impressed me is the spare language that carries so much meaning.Another book published in the 1980s is Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale by John Steptoe.

[suefitz1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From the back:
Their mother died the day after Caleb was born. Their house on the prarie is quiet now, and Papa doesn’t sing anymore. Then Papa puts an ad in the paper, asking for a wife, and he receives a letter from one Sarah Elizabeth Wheaton of Maine. Papa, Anna and Caleb write back. Caleb asks if she sings.

Sarah decides to come for a month. She writes Papa, I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plina and tall, and tell them I sing. Anna and Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice? Will she like them? Will she stay?

What an endearing story about how people used to live and think. It seems all so simple. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a simple life now. How people were match quite often didn’t have to do with if they loved each other, but if the circumstances were right.

Sarah was nice, she did like them and she did stay.

[mopbroek07 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Stars: ThemeLevel: IntermediateThis book is a good example of historical fiction because it takes place in the late 19th century on a midwestern farm. While the book portrays a fictional family and events, the description of prairie lifestyle is historically accurate. These authentic elements include the types of chores done, the method of seeking a wife, and the modes of transportation used.

[debrajohnson316 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In Sarah, Plain and Tall, Caleb and Anna wish to have a mother since theirs passed away upon Caleb's birth. Their papa tells them a woman is coming from Maine as his mail order bride to stay for a little while. The children become anxious to learn if she will want to stay with them permanently or if she will miss her home too much and wish to return.Stories of prairie life have always interested me. I think the times would have promoted family life because there were not nearly as many distractions for the children then as there are today. In the classroom, students could think about leaving their home for a new place and discuss how that would make them feel, or students who have had to change schools could share their experiences. Students could also write an additional letter to Sarah about her decision to stay with the family.

[ss116531 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary: This is a story about a single father that takes out an ad for a life partner to help raise his family. When he get a response, the children get a little nervous about what this new woman would be like. Sarah goes to the family farm on the prairie to meet the family and everyone falls in love with her. Personal Reaction:Of course, I was drawn to the title the first time I ever read this book because my name is Sarah too! I think this is a really sweet book about a family missing a family member and taking out an ad to find a new mother figure. I love reading stories about life on the prairie. I also liked the sequel to this book. Extension Ideas:Sarah, Plain and Tall is the description that Sarah sent to the family so that they would recognize her. Have the students create a self portrait and have them come up with simple descriptions that would give them away if someone was looking for them. The father in this story took out an ad when he was looking for Sarah. Have the students come up with an ad searching for something. Perhaps they are looking for a friend, pet, or even a summer job.

[victoriahaumesser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book showed the daily life of a prairie family furing the 1800's. The children's mother has died. The father makes the decision that he need a mother for his children. He corresponds with Sarah from Maine. She agrees to come to the farm and meet the family. Her travels are told. She finds a new home and family when she marries the father.I liked this book it showed the way people lived in the earlier days. I like the way the characters were believable. The theme of this could be stepparents, pairie life and difference of living in this time. The plot was good.In the classroom you could ask the children to describe one thing they think was harder to do in those days. Have a grand conversation on what the children know about the timeframe and use it beside the social studies lesson on that timeframe.

[elenaazad · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In "Sarah, Plain and Tall," Anna and Caleb are both excited and nervous to meet Sarah, a young woman from Maine who may become their stepmother. She comes to stay with them on their little farm out on the prairie after she responds to their widower father's ad in the newspaper. Although the family grows fond of Sarah and she of them, the children are afraid that the hard, often lonely life of a frontier woman might cause her to chose to to return home. This highly acclaimed children's book by Patricia MacLachlan is still as satisfying a read today as it seems to have been when it was first released. The story is told from the point of view of Anna, the older and the more emotionally guarded of the two children. Great for the upper elementary school set, "Sarah, Plain and Tall" is a story full of subtlety that deals with complex relationships, more so than many other books for this age group. It will surely test their comprehension and critical thinking skills. Aside from the family drama, the book also depicts the struggles of life on the prairie in nineteenth-century America.

[ecollado-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anna tells her younger brother Caleb that Papa and Mama used to sing together. It has been some time since daddy has sung. Caleb has no memories of his mother. Dad has now placed an ad for help. The children ask dad if the ad is for a housekeeper and he replies, “no, a wife.” This is how the children find out about Sarah. Sarah Wheaton had written a letter in response to the ad. Caleb wanted to know one thing: Does she sing?Sarah and the family exchange letters. The children are excited to learn that Sarah sings. Sarah comes for a one-month visit and the children discover that she is plain and tall. During the visit, the children notice she is homesick. When Sarah leaves to go to town, the children worry that she may never come back.

[sarahjohouck · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Summary:A family lost their mother/wife after she gave birth to her son. Years later the father put out an add for a wife and mother in the paper. Sarah responds to the father and she agrees to come down to visit for a while to see if she would like it. She ends up missing things from back home, but then realized if she left that she would miss her new family more. Personal Reaction: I remember reading this book when i was younger. I think it is a really sweet story, and it was a really easy read. i usually do not like to read because i read very slow, but of course this one was very simple and easy. Classroom Extension Ideas:1) The first way I would use this book is, I would have each of the students draw a picture of what makes them think of their home. It could be anything from a pet, a seashell, their actual house and so on.2) The second way I would use this book in the classroom is to tie it into the first idea and have them write about their drawing and why they choose that certain object to represent their home.

[divinemissw · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was a good book for a child. I am not sure why it was on the 1001 books you should read list for adults. That is the only reason I requested it. Somebody must have been touched when they read it as a chiild and added to the list? I will recommend it to my jr high school niece, but that is about all.

[karacalderon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary:This book is about a man who has lost his wife. He puts an ad in the paper for a new wife. Sarah answers the ad, and comes to live with him and his two children to see if she wants to stay. It's the story of the trials she faces while their and the love she discovers.Personal Reaction:I remembered this book from when I was younger and had to read it for class. It was different this time around reading it for me and not having to. It was an easy read, with a great story.Classroom Extensions:1. This would be a great way to talk about the different types of families, and that although they are differnt they love each other just the same. Students could draw pictures of their families.2. Students could write what they think would happen next in the story, and make their own small books with pictures.

[ds119933 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about two children whose mother died and their father has advertised for a new wife. Sarah, who lives by the sea in Maine, has answered the add and the children really want her to like them and to stay on the farm to be their new mother.I have always loved this story. I enjoyed reading it again after so many years. i like how the author tells how the children are feeling and the way the family has fun on a farm. It reminds me of things i would do when I was young, like running around with the sheep or swimming in a pond.I would read this story as an extention when having a unit on families. I would have my future students write letters that the children might have written to Sarah or research about the sea. Something else that could be done would be a compare contrast list of the praire and the sea. What is Sarah missing and what has she gained?

[kellyholmes-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good book I read as a child.

[esta1923 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A truly beautiful book! This story of a widower with two young children rings true in every aspect: conversations between the siblings, the feelings of their father, and the reactions of the woman who comes on a one-month-trial, then stays. . . all these resonate as you read. Written for children it has universal appeal.

[sarahclick · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Summary:This book is about a family where the mother has passed away. The father becomes lonely so he puts an Ad in the newspaper for a wife and a woman named Sarah from Maine answers the ad. She comes to their house and lives with them and begins to love them. Finally at the end of the book she knows that she wants to stay and there is going to be a wedding. Personal Reaction:I remember my mom reading this book with me as a child but I don't remember him putting an ad in the paper. I guess when we are little we don't always grasp things but overall I thought the book was cute.Classroom Extension Ideas:1. Learn to draw what we see. 2. Write about what we are thankful for.

[cvarela-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sara Plain and Tall is a very special book for me. It was the first book I read when I came to the US and I struggled so much to understand it. The book is about a father that postes an advertisement in the newspaper to find a wife. He receives a letter from Sara who lives in Maine by the sea. Sara goes to his house for a month to meet his children and get to know each other.

[angela.knox · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Summary: This is story about a father and his two children, Caleb and Anna. They lived on the frontier and their mother had died after giving birth to Caleb. Their father, Jack, had requested a wife to come live with them and help raise Caleb and Anna. A woman named Sarah replied by mail. She exchanged letters with all of them before coming to stay. She quickly bonds with the family and learns how to maintain on the frontier. Personal Reaction: I loved this story. It takes you back in time and gives a great description of frontier life. This would make a good read for young readers in 5th grade or above. Classroom Extension Ideas:1. In the classroom, you can have a literature circle to discuss the book with the class.2. You can also have the children take time to write about their thoughts and feelings towards the book.

[sbcla_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sweet story, short chapters.

[lannersvalerie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book because it brought out such great language and was very close to home. About Sarah who comes from Maine by answering an advertisement for a mother and wife. Anna and Caleb wonder about how she will adapt into farm, pioneering on a frontier. So much adventure and emotion make this book very good for children to read alone.

[benjamin.duffy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Subtle and beautiful. Deserves all the praise it's gotten. Proof that children's books can be amazingly well crafted yet still accessible.

[jenae5-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book won a Newbery Award in 1986, exploring different ideas of being lonely, being abandoned, and dealing with change. Jacob Witting is a widow, who is having to deal with the death of his wife, while having to raise two kids alone. Jacob puts an ad in the local newspaper for a mail-order bride, and a girl named Sarah, replies to his answer and travels from Maine to become his wife. I read this book when I was in grade school, but had to re-read it to understand what was going on. This book made me cry, because I would never want to picture my life without my husband, even thought I'm not married. It would be hard living on a farm and raising two kids alone with nobody to help you. In my room, I would have my students draw a picture of their family and have them write what they like most about their parents, and frame it for them to give as a gift.

[engpunk77 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Another book that caused me to gag with unnecessary details that sounded ugly on my tongue. I haven't touched this book, or seen it, since 4th grade, and I still remember being grossed out by a sentence that went something like this: "I woke up to the sound of sizzling bacon." I remember feeling burning indignation--I DON'T CARE what you smelled or heard. The word "sizzling" bothers me.

Looking back at these reviews, I'm realizing that I loathed realistic fiction. All of my happy memories of required reading had speaking animals or were thrillers and mysteries. Weird. As an adult, I prefer realistic fiction to all other genres.

[klburnside · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I can't remember if I read this when I was a kid, but it was the perfect book to read without having to concentrate while fireworks were keeping me up all night.

[kendragayle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Summary: This novel is all about family. The father of two children named Anna and Caleb, is in grief after losing his wife from the birth of Caleb, the youngest. Jacob has sent out an ad in the newspaper seeking a mail-order bride to help him take care of the children. Sarah, from Maine, has replied to his ad and travels to the western part of United States to be his wife. This story is told by Anna,the oldest of the two, she narrates the story like it's her diary. Overall, the children get to know Sarah and they end up loving her. They never want to lose her because they see her as the perfect mother figure. Personal Reaction: I really enjoyed this book because I love the great descriptions of all the different things they showed Sarah. This novel has a warm, relatable story-line. No matter what situation you have been in, I'm sure anyone can relate to having someone new come into their home and learning new things about it.Classroom Extensions: 1. The students will write about a time where they had an extended family member over or a new guest come into their home and visit. They will describe how they felt about it and what they showed the guests.2. The students can create a drawing of what they consider home and of anything that reminds them of home just like what Sarah did to show the children where she came from.

[wealhtheowwylfing · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A good accompaniment to the Little House series. A widower seeks a new wife as a help-mate, and in response to his newspaper ad comes Sarah, plain and tall. A sweet little story about the developing relationship between a step-mother and her new family, and a nice snippet of frontier life.

[dzejncrvena · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's one of my picks for my Newbery reads every year.
I don't know how to describe how I feel or think about this book.
I find it a little bit bland in comparison to most Newbery books I read (e.g. The Graveyard Book).
Maybe I just can't relate to the setting of time and location?
Hope the sequels are more exciting.