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By: Caroline Starr Rose,
on 2/11/2013
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In the years I've been blogging, no topic has drawn more visitors here than sod houses. I hope this post, showing the exterior of a Kansas soddy, and the next, its interior, will satisfy the curious!
My mother took these pictures while on an Elderhostel tour in 2009, just as I was putting some finishing touches on MAY B.
This sod house is located outside Gaithersburg, Kansas. You can see the family had access to enough wood -- perhaps a sawmill nearby? -- to build a door, frame out several windows, and lay lumber for a roof (though they still chose to place sod on top).
A pitched roof would have made rainstorms more comfortable, as it was typical for water to seep through flat-roofed sod houses, where it would continue to "rain" inside well after a storm.
Sod bricks were typically 1' x 2' x 4". They weighed roughly fifty pounds and were stacked, grass-side down, so that walls were two-feet thick. These sturdy homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Structurally, they weren't especially neat and tidy. This poor wall looks like it's melting.
While researching for MAY B., I'd read about women who'd left comfortable lives determined to make this new world as familiar and lovely as possible. My mother included a note with this picture, the words of her tour guide:
Bird cages were kept to show some gentility or civility attesting to their previous lifestyle.
I included a stanza in MAY B.'s poem 80 that was inspired by this bird cage picture:
I button Ma's fine boots.
I wish I had insisted on keeping Hiram's old ones,
but I know Ma gave me hers
for herself as much as me,
a message to Mrs. Oblinger,
fresh from the city,
showing that women out here still have some grace.
My feet will hurt, I reckon,
before I make it far.
Come back Wednesday for views of the interior.
By: Caroline Starr Rose,
on 2/17/2012
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In an effort to give readers a taste of MAY B., I'm sharing books with similar genres and themes. Today's topic: frontier stories. All descriptions are taken from Amazon.com.
The Long Winter - Laura Ingalls Wilder
The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as Pa, Ma, Laura, Mary, Carrie, and little Grace bravely face the hard winter of 1880-81 in their little house in the Dakota Territory. Blizzards cover the little town with snow, cutting off all supplies from the outside. Soon there is almost no food left, so young Almanzo Wilder and a friend make a dangerous trip across the prairie to find some wheat. Finally a joyous Christmas is celebrated in a very unusual way in this most exciting of all the Little House books.
Pioneer Girl: A True Story of Growing up on the Prairie - Andrea Warren
Pioneer Girl is the true story of Grace McCance Snyder. In 1885, when Grace was three, she and her family became homesteaders on the windswept prairie of central Nebraska. They settled into a small sod house and hauled their water in barrels. Together they endured violent storms, drought, blizzards, and prairie fires.
Despite the hardships and dangers, Grace loved her life on the prairie. Weaving Grace’s story into the history of America’s heartland, award-winning author Andrea Warren writes not just of one spirited girl but of all the children who homesteaded with their families in the late 1800s, sharing the heartbreaks and joys of pioneer life.
Prairie Song - Pam Conrad
3 Comments on Frontier Stories, last added: 1/25/2012
Heroes come in all sizes, and my newest hero is a pint-sized girl named Mavis Elizabeth Betterly, called May B. Armed with only her book, a broom, and a lot of sheer grit, May B. faces the terrors of school, winter, and the west Kansas prairie. Caroline Starr Rose tells May's story in simple, moving verse that captures the joy of family, the gloomy isolation of a dirt soddy, and the determination of one scared but indomitable young person. May B. is a girl you'll be proud to know. Give her a big hug from me.
May B.'s incredible adventure gripped me right from the beginning. You can almost hear -- and feel -- the cold prairie winds of Kansas whipping through the pages of Caroline Starr Rose's impressive first novel.
For the five books I'm reading for my verse novel challenge, I'll not post reviews. Instead, I'll leave you with a feel for the work itself.
ALEUTIAN SPARROW by Karen Hesse (Margaret K. McElderry, 2003)
From the dust jacket:
In June of 1942, seven months after attacking Pearl Harbor, the Japanese navy invaded Alaska's Aleutian Islands. For nine thousand years the Aleut people had lived and thrived on these treeless, windswept lands. Within days of the first attack, the entire native population living west of Unimak Island was gathered up and evacuated to relocation centers in the dense forests of Alaska's Southeast.
With resilience, compassion and humor the Aleuts responded to the sorrows of upheaval and dislocation. This is Vera's story, but it is woven from the same faric as the stories of displaced people thoughtout history. It chronicles the struggle to survive and to keep community and heritage intact despite harsh conditions in an alien environment.
In a luminous novel of unrhymed verse, Newbery winner karen Hesse brings to light this little-known episode from America's past.
A peek inside:
THINKING AHEAD
Most of us dreamed of going Outside, hungry for a taste of
life beyond the Aleutians.
Few of us truly meant it, few of us ever really intended to
leave the fog and the wind, the sun and the rain, the
hunting and trapping and fishing, the easy welcome
of neighbors.
We never thought who we were was so dependent on where
we were.
But when we settle back into the quiet villages along the
Aleutian beaches, who will we be after this?
SEA CHANGE
After three years of promises we are back
Where the sun emerges from the galloping clouds,
Where one moment the rain ices our hair and the next a
rainbow arches over the volcano.
Where early grass ripples in the wind and violets lead an
advance of wildflowers across the treeless hills.
It all comes back so quickly, the particular quality of the air
where
![More All-of-a-Kind Family [Unabridged CD Version]](http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1593160887&tag=carolbyline-20)
As a kid, I loved the ALL-OF-A-KIND FAMILY. Papa, Mama, Ella, Sarah,
Henny, Charlotte, Gertie and -- by the end of the first book --Baby Charlie felt like good friends. I've just re-read the first in the series for my fourth and fifth-grade book club.
Here's a glimpse at the story line:
(Amazon.com review)
There's something to be said for a book that makes you w
Several of you have asked for more agent-related posts, so here goes:
What does the revision process look like when you're working with an agent?
Every agent/author relationship is different, of course. Agents who describe themselves as "editorial" will expect more re-writes before submission than those who are less so. Revision work can vary from agent to agent, from author to author, and from manuscript to manuscript.
When my agent offered representation with my mid-grade historical novel-in-verse, the re-writes she asked for were minor:
- several more poems with a light emotional tone to intersperse between the heavier ones
- placing each poem on its own page for more, as she said, "visual heft."
- some minor line edits
One reason I think my revision work was so minor is because of the newer, stronger ending I had finished just weeks before sending Michelle my manuscript (thanks again, for all your insight,
Natalie). MAY B. went on submission less than a month after securing representation.
What about my other manuscripts?
Over Christmas, Michelle asked me to send along other stories I'd written. I picked two other mid-grades and two picture books. Two weeks ago, she sent back an overview of each. Guess what? They all need work, some of them a lot.
The lovely thing is she thinks they all have potential. The challenge is to get them to where they need to be. I am focusing on my chick-lit mid-grade at present, upping the tension and trying to work in some of her suggestions. Will I take them all? Nope. Even with all her ideas, she has reminded me to follow my heart for the piece. My job is to make sure my heart is on the track that will make this story most successful.
I've fiddled with some scenes, deleting some and adding new ones. This week I'm going to outline, chapter by chapter, pointing out eliminated scenes and building on new ideas. Michelle can then read this over and give me further feedback.
I love how involved she is with my work. I love that this is a group effort.
Would you like to sign with an agent who considers herself editorial? For those of you under respresentation, what has your revision experience been?
I'm in the midst of a new writing project, and I've yet to write anything. I know this manuscript will be another mid-grade novel-in-verse and will be about a Spanish Gypsy girl. That's all I've determined so far.
What I have done is start my research, something that is both satisfying and terrifying at the same time. When I start a project that involves research, I can be very intimidated by how little I know and how much there is to learn. At the same time, I love the thrill of surrounding myself with new information, like I've created my own study program that can take any direction I choose. There is a lot of freedom and a lot of responsibility, too.
Whatever I end up creating, it needs to be accurate in regard to the people, location, and time period I eventually choose to focus on. Because the Gypsy people are scattered around the world, each group has distinct regional structures. There are certain customs seen throughout all Gypsy groups (taboos, a focus on the cleanliness/separateness of the Gypsy people, strong family ties, and usually the Romani language -- though some only now know a few Romani words and speak the language of the country where they now live).
In all research, it is also essential to present the people, location, and time period in a way that is respectful. For my current research, this is important on several levels:
- Gypsies have traditionally been rejected by mainstream society. I'll have to figure out a way to show this tension in a way that is accurate in the ways humans make sense of one another while making sure my approach is respectful. Sympathetic character development will be key.
- I'll have to keep in mind the terminology of the times and somehow make it work respectfully and accurately.
- I have to keep in mind the Gypsy groups of today.
I remember
Betsy James coming to my children's literature class in college. She read from her beautiful picture book about the Anasazi people, ancestors of the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest. At the time, she talked about how difficult it was to write of a culture other than one's own.
There's an extra level of accuracy and respect needed in approaching a different culture, and it is important, in the very least, to run your ideas by members of the group you're writing about. I've been in touch with the director of the Gypsy Lore Society, asking really basic questions about how I might proceed respectfully. He has graciously pointed out texts that could prove helpful and which ones that probably won't be.
And how much research have I done so far? Not much. I've read half a book and six articles. In other words, I'll be at this for months.
There's a lot to think about as I gather information. More on my very loose, open-ended research process another time.
One of the reasons I love reading (and writing, for that matter,) is the opportunity to connect with others beyond myself. Stories are meant for sharing. I love recommending books. It's like introducing two people you know are meant to be friends.
That's why it's so important for all of us, but especially children just starting to "own" their reading, to discuss, share, and explore literature with others. I could feel the energy in the air yesterday (silliness, too) as my fourth and fifth-graders came to discuss Pedro's Journal, a mid-grade historical novel about a (ficitonal) boy who sailed on the Santa Maria during Columbus's first voyage. Not all of them liked it, but all of them came with something to say.
Stories create worlds, characters, and circumstances bigger than ourselves. They point out what it means to be human. It is so key to share these things, making meaning beyond ourselves. I love that kids love this. I love that I get to be a part of the process. Thank you to everyone who fosters reading in the young -- parents, teachers, librarians, volunteers, writers, readers, dreamers. Your efforts make a difference.
Turn out last week for the fourth and fifth-grade book club was great! Fifteen kids, roughly a third of students in these grades. Tomorrow I meet with my oldest kids, half of which participated with me in last year's book club.
Read along!
assigned due
1. The Bronze Bow
Elizabeth George Speare 9-17-09 10-15-09
Book level: 5.0 / AR points 10.0
2. Crispin: Cross of Lead
Avi* 10-15-09 11-19-09
Book level: 5.0 / AR points 7.0
3. Pocahontas
Joseph Bruchac* 11-19-09 12-17-09
Book level: 6.3 / AR 7.0
4. The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Elizabeth George Speare 12-17-09 1-21-10
Book level: 5.7 / AR 9.0
5. Freedom Train
Dorothy Sterling* 1-21-10 2-25-10
Book level: 6.2 / AR points 6.0
6. The Long Winter
Laura Ingalls Wilder 2-25-10 3-18-10
Book level: 5.3 / AR points 3.0
7. The Secret Garden
Frances Hodges Burnett 3-18-10 4-22-10
Book level: 6.3 / AR points 13.0
8. The Yearling
Marjorie Rawlings** 4-22-10 5-14-10
Book level: 5.0 / AR points 19.0
*School copies will be available
**Eighth-grade summer reading title
You will notice that the book levels fluctuate throughout the year. Why are students not reading material from easiest to most difficult? I’ve focused our reading on historical fiction and am taking students on a “journey” in chronological order, from the Roman era to Florida in the 1920s.
Twelve kids -- six boys and six girls -- showed up last week for our first book club. That's half of third grade at our little school. How amazing is that?
Tomorrow is the first day for my fourth and fifth graders. You may recall some silly fifth-grade guys telling their classmates that book clubs are for girls. Really! My eyes-glued-to-their-books-when-it's-time-for-lessons boys, too. We'll have to see who shows.
Here’s the list of books we’ll be reading.
assigned due
1.Pedro’s Journal * 9-10-09 10-8-09
Pam Conrad
Book level: 5.8 / AR points 2.0
2. A Stolen Life * 10-8-09 11-12-09
Jane Louise Curry
Book level: 5.9 / AR points 8.0
3. Sign of the Beaver 11-12-09 12-10-09
Elizabeth George Speare
Book level: 4.9 / AR 5.0
4. Freedom Crossing * 12-10-09 1-14-10
Margaret Goff Clark
Book level: 4.6 / AR 5.0
5. On the Banks of Plum Creek 1-14-10 2-11-10
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Book level: 4.6 / 8.0
6. Riding Freedom * 2-11-10 3-11-10
Pam Munoz Ryan
Book level: 4.5 / AR 3.0
7. The Ballad of Lucy Whipple 3-11-10 4-15-10
Karen Cushman
Book level: 5.8 / AR points 7.0
8. All-of-a-Kind Family 4-15-10 5-6-10
Sydney Taylor
Book level: 4.9 / AR points 5.0
*school copies will be available
You will notice that the book levels fluctuate throughout the year. Why are students not reading material from easiest to most difficult? I’ve focused our reading on historical fiction and am taking students on a “journey” in chronological order, from Columbus’s voyage to New York City in the 1920s.
They really are amazing. It must have taken a lot of gumption to decide to live in one! Prairie women would laugh at my petty complaints about vacuuming. :)
Exactly and exactly and exactly.
Wow, interesting pics. I think everyone who's read Little House on the Prairie has imagined living in one of these. The reality is far different from the imagination!
Agreed. We're traveling in the midwest this summer, and I'm hoping to see some of my own!
Love this glimpse into the past, Caroline! Can't wait to see the interior.
Thank you for these pictures. I connect my memeories of soddies, with Little House on the Prairie. But they might have also come from Bess Streeter Aldrich.
I love seeing these. The give visuals to the words stored in my mind.
I want to know more about the bird cages! There's something so intriguing about that being the thing to represent gentility... I mean, here's this family, living in the WILD. And it's an image of something that traps that represents a place more civilized? I might have to write a poem. :) Thanks for sharing, Caroline.
I love those pictures. They have so much history and character to them.
I look forward to reading that poem!
I loved reading about soddies in your book May B. The description of the soddies during torrential rain was so vivid as was the fear of the roof collapsing. You made living in a sod so very memorable! I feel sorry for anyone who actually had to live in one.
Thank you, Mia. I really wanted to be true to the first-hand accounts I read.