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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

As their potential stepmother tries out her new role, Anna and her younger brother Caleb watch Sarah's every move anxiously, constantly afraid that independent, homesick Sarah will leave them and return to Maine. The story takes place in the West during the late 19th century. The spare text is filled with longing: of Sarah, for a home and of the children, for a mother. (Ages 7-11)

CCBC Choices 1985 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 1985. Used with permission.

From School Library Journal

May 1, 2002
Gr 3-6-Glenn Close narrates Patricia MacLachlan's beautiful novels on this fine audio collection. Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of Sarah, who came from Maine to answer Jacob's advertisement for a wife and mother, all from the point of view of young Anna. The classic story continues in Skylark, as Anna and her brother, Caleb, must travel with their new mother, Sarah, to Maine when a terrible drought threatens their home. Caleb picks up the story several years later in Caleb's Story, telling of the return of his grandfather, who had abandoned the family when Caleb's father was a young boy. Close, who played the role of Sarah in the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of the first book, creates distinct voices for each character without ever resorting to theatrics. Anna and Caleb's voices mature as listeners progress through the stories, and Close's carefully unobtrusive narration showcases MacLachlan's simple yet poetic words. An interview with Patricia MacLachlan at the end of the collection gives students more information about the author's life and writing process, and about the real-life inspiration for Sarah. A beautiful collusion of an excellent story with a perfect narrator, and a treat for all listeners.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From AudioFile Magazine

Glenn Close performs this wonderful tale just as it should be. Her melodious voice, combined with the musical interludes that mark transitions, lends a magical quality to the story. Through this magnificent performance, the listener is easily transported from the prairie house where Anna and Caleb wish for a mother, to Maine, where Sarah writes letters to them by the sea. The regional accents are done well, and the characterizations are true to the author's intent. This is a moving tale of the simple joys in life. It is hard to imagine there could be a better match between reader and story. D.L.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine