The Schoolchildren's Blizzard

May 1, 2004
Gr 2-4-This fast-paced, high-interest tale set in Nebraska is based on the true story of Minnie Freeman, a teacher who led her students to safety through the deadly blizzard of January 12, 1888. Two sisters, nine-year-old Sarah and seven-year-old Annie, set off to school on an exceptionally warm winter day. During recess, a bitter wind blows and it begins to snow. Before long, the tiny sod schoolhouse's roof is ripped off and they are exposed to the elements. Realizing that they will surely freeze if they stay put, Miss Freeman ties all 16 of her students together with a long rope and they walk to safety through the blinding storm. Well-painted, realistic watercolors depict their struggle to find a safe haven and blend well with the exciting text. A good choice for newly independent readers, this story can be used in conjunction with the study of 19th-century prairie life.-Karen Land, Greenport Public School, NY

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2004
Gr. 1-3. On an unusually warm January morning in 1888, Sarah and her little sister, Annie, walk from their prairie farmhouse to their one-room, sod schoolhouse. At lunchtime, the temperature drops and a blizzard roars in, lifting part of the roof off the school. Their teacher ties each of the 16 students to a rope and leads them to her home, half a mile through the blinding, treacherous snowstorm. In an afterword, Figley notes that during the actual Nebraska storm known as the Schoolchildren's Blizzard, "many children died on their way home from school." The realistic interplay between Sarah and Annie will draw young readers into this simple, vivid story of natural catastrophe and native courage. Haas' paintings colorfully depict the changing weather as well as shifting emotions of the characters. Printed in large type with plenty of white space, this tale from the On My Own History series makes an exciting, accessible addition to the easy-reading shelves and a prime candidate for primary-grade assignments of fiction based on natural disasters.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)