Bluestem

By Frances Arrington

Book Overview

With their father away and their mother traumatized by some unknown event, eleven-year-old Polly and her younger sister are left to take care of themselves and their prairie homestead. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399235647
• ISBN13: 9780399235641
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Philomel
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.6" x 5.3"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 9

Customer Reviews

The Best Book I have ever Read

If you like adventure you will love Bluestem by Frances Arrington, this book was very descriptove!The book is about polly,12, and Jessie,9, who live with their parents and their papa was going away for a week. Little did Polly and Jessie know it was a week to remember forever.Polly and Jessie went with their mama yo their neighbors. Mama had to go get something and she promised to be back by sunset. Well sunset passed and mama wasn't back yet. So Polly and Jesie decided to go up to get dinner and go to bed. When they walked in their house there in the chair sits mama. They asked twice, "Why didn't you come get us?" Both times mama doesn't answer. Does this gp on throughout the book is their mama crazy?You have to read to find out. This is a book for people who love their families and adventure.

5 reasons to read BLUESTEM, a great book!

1. EXCITING, when the kids are in the sloughgrass 2. MYSTERY what is wrong with Polly's mom? 3. BEAUTIFUL a beautiful place where Polly lives 4. BAD GUYS Simon and his whole family are interesting but really mean! 5. ANIMALS Polly loves her horse and her cat. So, read this prairie book and have fun.

page turning prairie book

I had to read the whole book to see what would happen next. Polly is my favorite character. She is brave and always knows something to try next. I liked the way she stood up to those mean neighbors. Jessie was nice but she made me mad when she got them in so much trouble in the slough. I think most girls my age would like this book. It's easy to read and intriguing.

mysterious and exciting prairie book

This story was mysterious and exciting. I liked Polly and Jessie. The Smiths were so dispicabal, and when Raef Smith came over to take their stuff, and when the night caller came it was really exciting and weird. I think this is a good writer and I was really scared for Polly and Jessie when Jessie got them lost in the slough. I recommend this book to middle school readers.

A harshly realistic yet inspiring story of prairie life.

Within this short novel, so much tragedy and hardship befalls sisters Polly, eleven, and Jessie, nine. Yet these two young girls, the protaginists of Bluestem, a novel that brings to life the harsh realism of life on the late nineteenth century American prairies, never give up. After their highly depressed mother wanders away into the tallgrass and never returns, they are put to work on a neighboring farm, whose owners hope their father will return soon to claim them. Yet when he doesn't, they decide to send Polly and Jessie on an orphan train. Believing that their father will return, they decide to hide in the prairie until the neighbors give up and declare them lost, as well. But when they truly do get lost, they must rely on each other to survive and make their way home. This novel was truly inspiring - these two little girls manage to survive on their own in a harsh wilderness without giving up hope that they will find home again. I highly reccomend this novel to historical fiction fans.