My Words on Children's Literature

Genre 5 HISTORICAL FICTION

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

LaFaye, A. 2004. WORTH. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689857306

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Nebraska farmboy, Nate, is crippled by a freak haying accident. He is angry, helpless, and bitter when his pa brings home a city orphan to work as a farm hand and Nate is sent to school. Nate begins to soften toward John when he learns that his entire family was killed in a tenement fire. They end up helping and accepting each other, as well as chasing off some fence-cutters who are trying to stir up trouble between the ranchers and farmers.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Set in 19^th-century rural Nebraska, LaFaye’s spare and beautifully told novel is historically accurate. He paints a realistic picture of the hardships of the families, the range wars, and the orphans. The main characters are believable in their life together and the challenges that they face. The plot comes right out of history with the range wars. For example in this scene, children at school are fighting the fight of their parents: "Get your cowpoke feet out of my shooting area!" He shoved Gantry away from his marbles. "Won't have you tromping all over my things like your cattle in my daddy's fields." The details of the setting make the story seem real. The theme crosses the boundaries of time in that hard times come and problems have to be worked out. This is true socially as in Nate trying to make friends, communally as in the land wars, and relationally as with Nate's family and the orphan John. Readers will identify with the emotions of the boys as they come to terms with their relationship and become friends.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publisher’s weekly: “There's a world of pain in LaFaye's spare, lyrical novel set in 19th-century Nebraska. The author assumes an unusual perspective on the Orphan Train theme, focusing on the adoptive family.”

School Library Journal: “A compelling and historically accurate story beautifully rendered.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*This is a great short read to go along with a unit that includes farm life, range wars or the Orphan trains.

Other related books:

Warren, Andrea. ORPHAN TRAIN RIDER: ONE BOY’S TRUE STORY. ISBN 0395913624

Riney-Kehrberg, Pamela. CHILDHOOD ON THE FARM: WORK, PLAY AND COMING OF AGE IN THE MIDWEST. ISBN 0700613889

// posted by catalogblog @ 7:14 AM