Prairie Summer - Hardcover

Arthur Geisert and his wife Bonnie, with whom he collaborated on Haystack and the four Small Town U.S.A. books, live in a house they built themselves in a quarry in Galena, Illinois. Mr. Geisert finds artistic inspiration in pigs, the rolling valleys of Illinois, and the Mississippi River, all of which can be seen from the front porch of his house.

Bonnie Geisert and her husband, Arthur, with whom she collaborated on Haystack and the four Small Town U.S.A. books, live in a house they built themselves in a quarry in Galena, Illinois. This is Mrs. Geisert's first novel for Walter Lorraine Books.

Grade 3-5-Ten-year-old Rachel Johnson doesn't have the strength or courage of her older sisters. She's not little and cute like her younger sister, and no matter how hard she tries, she can't seem to please her father. However, when the early arrival of her baby brother requires daring and pluck, Rachel comes through. Later, she hears in her father's voice his pride in his daughters, and especially for Rachel for coming to her mother's assistance. Those few words help make the girl "the happiest fifth-grader in Cresbard, maybe even in all of South Dakota." Geisert skillfully uses the plot and the setting to reveal the relationships and develop the characters. Through the events of the summer, family members move toward greater understanding and appreciation of one another. The children bicker realistically, and yet band together when the occasion calls for it. The dialogue between the parents is corny and enough to embarrass any child, just as it does Rachel and her sisters. Although the story is set on a farm in the 1950s, the characters and their relationships transcend time and place. The black-and-white, pen-and-ink drawings are strategically placed. A poignant family story that's true to a child's point of view.-Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
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