Thimble Summer
Garnet found a silver thimble in the sand by the river and she was sure it had magic, for the summer had proved exciting and interesting in so many different ways. There was the coming of Eric, an orphan and such a nice addition to the family; the building of a new barn with money loaned by the government; and the fair at which Garnet's carefully tended pig won a blue ribbon and three dollars and a half! Every day brought pleasure of some kind to Garnet of the flying pigtails, for she was bursting with energy and good spirits and she loved the outdoors and growing things.*"This story of a Wisconsin farm sings with the happiness and contentment of a small girl whose roots are sinking deep into the soil of a loved place." -- Library Journal, starred review"Sprung spontaneously from the author's own happy experience of life on a Middle Western farm, this is a story of the sort for which there is a constant demand: one of everyday life among contemporary children. ... There is the flavor of real life... expressed with charm and humor." -- The New York Times Book Review"Garnet... is resourceful and full of gaiety.... [Her] joy in living as she watches the great blue heron at the water's edge as the day closes has to be expressed in handspring after handspring down the pasture."-- The Horn Book