Sara's Wish Book Review

PhotobucketI'm not sure if I enjoyed "meeting"Jim Baumgardener or Sarah more. Maybe the two go hand in hand. As a member of TOS Homeschool Crew, I received Sara's Wish for review. This is the first in a series of books by Jim Baumgardener. The author wrote these books for his grandchildren - which means you have his word that this is a book you can feel comfortable about reading to your children. It is set in 1858 during the time of the underground railroad. It begins by Sara loosing her mom in a buggy accident. While she may have lost her mom, she is determined to keep a secret that her mom left her with. Can she keep it? As a young girl, she has a grown up responsibility to help deliver two "packages." We learn that this was a code word for escaped slaves trying to earn their freedom through the underground railroad. While the story does not focus on slavery, it does include many historical references and this would tie in nicely with a study on that time period. So what is the focus of the book? Well, it must be Sara's Wish. This book is about her quest for her wish, and the characters she meets along the way. Accompanied by Granny, who has taken her under her wing, and Dr. Baum (a character based off of Jim's great, great grandfather) as their chaperone, they take off to find a family for Sara. However, Sara's hopes are dashed as she discovers that the home who wants her is actually a "plantation." She quickly befriends the slaves and tries to help them. Does Sara get her wish? Not in this book and it totally left me feeling bummed that the story does not end there. But, it did make me want to read the next two books in the Sara book series: Sara's Promise and Sara's Escape. You can get your autographed copy of Sara's Wish directly from the author's website for $9.99 ($10.99 retail) with free shipping and handling. Something else you should know is that when you purchase this book, you also receive a code for a free audio version of this book. I loved being able to listen to this with my children. Anyways, back to Jim Baumgardener. He is a wonderfully funny and charismatic fellow and he will warm your heart. You can read more about him here and even sign up for his newsletter - an enjoyable read. To see what other Crew Members think of Sara's Wish, click here. To visit the Homeschool Crew blog, click on the banner below.
As a member of TOS Homeschool Crew, I received this book free of charge in exchange for my review and no further compensation was received. I offer my honest opinion of the product.

1 comment

  1. Another nice review. I reviewed this book as well, for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. And . . . lucky me! I also received the second book. After I reviewed them I mailed them to a young girl in AZ who loved them. :-)
    Here's my review:
    http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Homeschool_Reviews/3120.php

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