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Searching... Newberg Public Library | J FICTION BIRNEY | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Salem Main Library | J Birney, B. | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
When Eben McAllister reads about the Seven Wonders of the World, he longs to escape the small farming community of Sassafras Springs and do some exploring f his own. No one else ever seems to want to leave Sassafras however -- not even his best pal, Jeb -- and so, for now, Eben figures he's stuck on the farm with Pa and Aunt Pretty until he grows up.
All that changes when his pa, tired of Eben's moping, challenges him to find Seven Wonders in Sassafras Springs that can stang up to the real Seven Wonders of the World. And if he does? Then Eben will get the adventure he's been craving for -- a trip out West. Eben doesn't reckon he'll have any luck -- he can't think of even one thing that would be called "interesting," let along wonderous, in Sassafras, but he figures he'll give it a try; there's nothing else to do in Sassafras anyway.
While his mission puzzles and annoys some of his friends and neighbors, Eben perseveres, little knowing that he is in for a big surprise. For what with a singing saw, a floating table, and a truth-telling loom (just to name a few), the Wonders Eben will discover among his neighbors, friends, and family will give him the adventure of a lifetime...without his ever leaving home.
Told in a down-home narrative with glimmers of magical realism woven throughout, and illustrated with sumptuous drawings by Matt Phelan, Betty G. Birney's tale about a boy's journey of discovery reminds us all that extraordinary things can happen in the most ordinary of places...even in Sassafras Springs.
Author Notes
Betty G. Birney is an Emmy-winning screenwriter who specializes in live-action TV, and animation for children. She lives with her family in Studio City, California.
Matt Phelan's black-and-white illustrations first appeared in The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty G. Birney. His picture books include The New Girl...and Me and Two of a Kind, both written by Jacqui Robbins. Matt lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7--Eben McAllister can't wait to get out of the small town of Sassafras Springs, Missouri. After reading about the seven wonders of the world, living in cramped quarters with his Aunt Pretty and Pa becomes unsatisfying. Eben's convinced there's nothing in Sassafras worth exploring, with the likes of the Great Pyramid at Giza and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon out there. His Pa gives him a challenge he can't pass up--if he can find seven wonders in Sassafras Springs in seven days, he will be rewarded with a train ticket to Silver Peaks, Colorado to visit relatives. Eban, his dog, and two friends embark on the quest. Before long, the entire town is talking about its wonders and telling Eben their stories. Getting to know the townspeople ultimately teaches Eben to see the small but important things in life and prepares him to face the world outside of his hometown. In Betty Birney's wonderful tale (Atheneum, 2005), each of the seven stories is intricately carved, and they all fit together like a mosaic work of art. Joseph Butler's excellent narration aptly portrays the novel's down-home narrative style. The tall-tale tone of each story will engage listeners. The unattractive cover art is childish for its intended audience and will not pique the interest of middle schoolers--it will be up to librarians to promote this noteworthy audiobook that is a bow to the storytelling tradition.--Ann Crewdson, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Publisher's Weekly Review
How do you keep them down on the farm after they've read about the Seven Wonders of the World? That's one of the heart-tugging questions gently raised in Birney's (The World According to Humphrey) tender and captivating gem of a novel. Farm life in dusty Sassafras Springs, Mo., in the early 1920s seems pretty boring to young Eben McAllister, who longs to see the world's big cities, the pyramids and the other grand things that he's pored over in books. He may get his wish, too, when he accepts his father's challenge to find seven true wonders right in his hometown. The prize is a train journey to visit relatives in Colorado. Eben's search turns up the sparkle to be found in everyday life when one takes the time to look-and even listen-for it. Through a series of neighbors' and his own family's colorful accounts, Eben finds a bit of surprising magic right under his nose, and begins to view the people around him differently, too. Birney's engaging, memorable cast and homespun phrasing convey a comfortable, porch-sitting tone that emphasizes the power of story. Phelan makes his children's book debut with the accompanying sweet, rustic pencil drawings that bring Eben's journey into clearer view; he often places silhouettes of characters gazing at one another across a spread, to pique readers' interest. One full-page drawing per Wonder helps dramatize why each qualifies for the definitive septet. Ages 8-12. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Sassafras Springs, Missouri, is pretty dull--or so it seems to twelve-year-old Eben in 1923 as he marvels over a book about the Seven Wonders of the World. Challenged by his pa, Eben sets out to find seven wonders in his own town. Told in a homespun, folksy voice, this is an appealing story of finding surprises in the world of the everyday. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
In this fun, folksy outing set in 1923, 12-year-old Eben McAllister has seven days to find seven wonders in Sassafras Springs, Mo. Convinced that his ordinary berg has nothing on the Seven Wonders of the World, Eben reluctantly accepts his father's challenge: "I just think there's no use searching the world for Wonders when you can't see the marvels right under your own nose." What follows is a weeklong odyssey where Eben asks people he's known his whole life if they have anything special lying around. They do. It's not the objects themselves that are so extraordinary--an applehead doll named Miss Zeldy, a rickety bookcase, a table--as much as his neighbors' magical stories that accompany them that will inspire everything from chuckles to chills. The matter-of-fact first-person narrative is refreshing, as Eben is neither overly precocious nor terribly troubled--just a small-town boy with wanderlust who learns that an explorer doesn't have to travel too far afield to have an adventure, but that leaving town still sounds awfully good. (Fiction. 8-11) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 3-6. I was only looking for big things . . . but a small thing can be a prize too. That's the transparent theme of Eben McAllister's search for local wonders. The year is 1923, and Eben, who lives on a farm in Missouri, longs for marvels like those in his Seven Wonders of the World book. His father challenges him to find local wonders to rival the famous ones. If Eben can gather seven wonders in seven days, his will earn a train ride to visit relatives in the Colorado mountains. He ekes out time from daily chores to visit the neighbors, each of whom shares a wonder and tells a story. The tall tales are a bit heavy on message and cliche (the mayor, who was a naughty child, saw the light and learned that he should use his energy to help folks), but the magical realism of the episodic wonders--an outhouse flying in a cyclone, a musical saw that fends off crop-eating locusts--and Eben's empathetic father and aunt provide grist for a solid read-aloud. Phelan's black-and-white illustrations are a charming accompaniment. --Cindy Dobrez Copyright 2005 Booklist