Tuttle's Red Barn (by Richard Michelson)

For more than four centuries, 12 generations of the Tuttle family have kept their family farm alive and productive. Each 2-4 page spread tells the story of each generation, and focuses on ways they were affected by changes in America, and how they adapted their lives to those changes.

Today, the red barn on Tuttle's farm is a thriving roadside market with an adjacent nursery that is a favorite stopping off point for customers seeking fresh fruits and vegetables. But it started out as a wild stretch of land that John Tuttle cleared and plowed shortly after having been stranded along the east coast in the 1600s. From very humble beginnings, the farm, and those that tended it, grew and changed as one generation after another worked to make it successful. Amazingly, the farm stayed in the Tuttle family and now has the distinction of being "the oldest continuing family farm in America."

Stories are what hook kids, especially the stories of other kids their age. Young readers will be drawn in by the simple, straightforward, informative prose of this story, especially since it is told from the viewpoint of each of the 12 boys that grew up to take over the farm. Together with colorful and unique woodcut prints whose style changes with each new era, that voice brings to life important events that shaped our country's history. And the experiences of each generation provide a perfect jumping-off spot for further study about early settlers, the American Revolution, Underground Railroad, the Industrial Revolution, and so on.

Author: Richard Michelson
Illustrator: Mary Azarian
Publisher: Penguin Group
Publication date: September 20, 2007
Number of pages: 40
Hardcover price: $16.99
Read Aloud: 4
Read Alone: 8