The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty G. Birney

Rating: My bookshelf, Needs Parent Supervision

Reading Level: Mid-late Elementary

There is so much to love! A young boy longs to see the wonders of the world and get out of his small farm town. His dad challenges him to find seven wonders in his own small town. In search of the wonders the boy discovers amazing stories right outside his own back door.

Possible Concerns:

• Miracles. A girl on the edge of her death hears a doll calling her back, a man plays Amazing Grace to scare away locusts, a blind woman can speak truth through her loom, etc.
• Cloud Seeding. A man uses chemicals to bring rain. You should be sure to help your reader understand that it wasn’t idol worship that led him to burn chemicals in a fire, even though it seems similar.
• Ghosts. Some of the ghost stories end up being not ghosts at all. But one ghost story is not resolved by natural phenomena.
• Religious segregation. A preacher encourages a boy to read the Bible instead of looking for wonders. But several of the wonders point glory to God; the preacher is being short sighted and fearful.

Overall the challenge helps the boy recognize true riches and true wonder. He begins to see wonder all over. Two thumbs up! Just be sure to talk over with your kid what they think is true and what was the grace of God and what might have been imagined, as well as the science of cloud seeding.