“How far I’ve come! I’m the same girl and yet not the same. I wonder if it’s always like that? Folks keep growing from one person into another all their lives, and life is just a lot of everyday adventures. Well, whatever life is, I like it.”― Carol Ryrie Brink, Caddie Woodlawn

I have featured some old children’s books on this site, but Caddie Woodlawn may be the oldest. Written in 1935,it won the Newbery Award the following year. The book focuses on Caroline Augusta Woodlawn, aka Caddie. Her family moved from Boston to Wisconsin and the journey nearly killed her. As a result, Caddie is allowed to roam free and explore with her brothers to regain her strength. Caddie has many adventures and this book offers a good look into what life was like for a family in a small Wisconsin town during the Civil War. Life was hard and danger was often present but there was also fun and the book shares many practical jokes and touching moments. This book is based on the real life adventures of Carol Ryrie Brink’s grandmother, the real Caddie Woodlawn, and that may be one of the secrets of its appeal to young readers for nearly ninety years.

Content Advisory: death of a child

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