The British are coming! The American Revolution is being fought in the hills around Letty Wright's family's farm, and the Wrights must flee to safety. There is no time for Letty to bring Solomon the gander. Letty hopes the British don't hurt Solomon, but hungry soldiers aren't known for their kindness. Eight-year-old Letty tries the only thing she can think of to save him—and is as surprised as the other colonists when it works. Based on a remarkable, true story, this unusual tale will linger in the minds of all who read it.
~From School Library Journal
Grade 1-2?Letty Wright's colonial family must flee their home before the British soldiers arrive. Worried about her pet goose, she leaves a note for the soldiers asking them not to harm him. After three days, the family returns to find their home in shambles. Letty finds a note from the soldiers explaining that they needed to eat the geese, but spared her pet and paid a penny each for the ones they consumed. Although this tale is based on a true account, Letty does not come across as a real person. The illustrations are dark and heavy with stiff human figures. A feeling of distress is well sown when the British are coming but is never altered; even when Letty is reunited with her pet, her expression remains the same. This one is for large beginning-reader collections only.?Sharon R. Pearce, San Antonio Public Library, TX
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Gr. 1^-3. Based on a true story, this I Can Read book makes history immediate and exciting. The time is 1778, during the War for American Independence, and Letty's family must flee their New Jersey farm because the British soldiers are raiding for food. Letty cannot bear to leave behind her beloved goose, Solomon, and in desperation she leaves the soldiers a letter begging them not to harm her pet. When the family returns home, there's a note from the soldiers, who spared Solomon and hung a pouch around his neck with British pennies as payment for the other geese they ate. Beier's watercolor illustrations on every page express the child's experience: the terror of the war at home and the tenderness of the pet story. Hazel Rochman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
The setting of this I Can Read is 1778, when British soldiers invade the American colonies, forcing Letty to leave behind the one possession she values most--her gander, Solomon. She places a note to the soldiers on the mantle, begging them to save the life of her bird. Her family piles into the wagon, and heads for the hills, to safety. Waiting is agony: From their hideaway with friends, Letty's family can hear gunshots, and see the smoke of burning houses; travelers' tales of plundering offer little reassurance. When Letty and her family finally return, their house has been ransacked, but it's still standing. On the mantle is a note, in verse, from the soldiers, who have spared Solomon's life and left a bag full of British pennies to pay for the geese they devoured. Along with the realistic watercolors, Walker maintains the inherent suspense of the story throughout; new readers will be glued to the pages right to the rewarding conclusion. (Fiction. 5-8) -- Copyright 1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
The setting of this I Can Read is 1778, when British soldiers invade the American colonies, forcing Letty to leave behind the one possession she values most - her gander, Solomon. She places a note to the soldiers on the mantle, begging them to save the life of her bird. Her family piles into the wagon, and heads for the hills, to safety. Waiting is agony: From their hideaway with friends, Letty's family can hear gunshots, and see the smoke of burning houses; travelers' tales of plundering offer little reassurance. When Letty and her family finally return, their house has been ransacked, but it's still standing. On the mantle is a note, in verse, from the soldiers, who have spared Solomon's life and left a bag full of British pennies to pay for the geese they devoured. Along with the realistic watercolors, Walker maintains the inherent suspense of the story throughout; new readers will be glued to the pages right to the rewarding conclusion. (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"Letty Wright and her family were forced to leave their homestead during the American Revolution. Terrified that her pet goose, Solomon, would be roasted by raiding British soldiers, Letty wrote a note imploring them to spare his life. Once the "all-clear" was given, the Wright's returned to find their home still standing and Solomon alive. Based on a true story, this easy-reader would fit in well with a unit on the Revolutionary War."
--Children's Literature
