Another book I picked up because it was next to Shannon Hale in the library!
This is a wonderful book about a young girl in the depression, leaving her nice home to live in a shack on the coast. She discovers some uncomfortable truths about herself, and becomes a better person and friend because of it.
A very believable story with likable characters.

This book was very moving, at times I felt happy and other times I felt sad. When I felt sad it was because the family had to leave everything behind except for what they could put in their car. Which happened twice, the first time the family drove for several days looking for a new place to call home and the second time they were heading for shelter for the huge storm coming in from the sea that could destroy their home. Anytime the main character was sad I felt it because her sorrow was expressed well enough I felt like I was there and when she was happy so was I, knowing that although her family was having a hard time making money to feed themselves, I was happy to find that there was still plenty of things for the young girl to be happy about. Particularly when she gave bread to the homeless man whom she came to call Mr. Sparrow, made me even more happy at the time because although she had very little she was giving something away to someone who had even less than her and she was just a young girl.

I totally enjoyed this story. I am so glad I pick it up to read. It was very heartwarming. Can't imagine what Sadie had to go through. This is the second book by this author that I have read. I hope there will be more.

Of course anything after my "Phantom" high was going to be a bit mundane, but this was a good choice to bring me back down. A lovely book about the reality of the Depression and hope. I liked this book.

The book "The Truth About Sparrows" was a really good book. It showed in great detail what life was like during the Great Depression and how worse it was for people in the Mid-East of America because of droughts. Not only did the author; Marian Hale, portray how hard it was during this time but used a great character like Sadie to express what life was really like for her and her family who were affected by the Depression and forced to move because of it. Sadie, along with her parents and her three siblings drove away from their home in Missouri and headed to Texas in search for a better chance at finding work. This story is a great way to learn about life during the Depression and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to read a story from a perspective of someone who might have lived during the Great Depression.

I finished this book in a few days. It was very easy to read, but at the same time, my mind wandered every time I picked it up so I had to reread parts of it over and over. It just didn't really catch my attention and hold it.
I liked the main characters, the friends and the family, especially the father. The atmosphere of the book was well done, as was the settings and the times. I liked the descriptions of all the seaside life, since it's something I haven't read about in a Depression-era book before. The books from this time period I usually encounter are set in the dust bowl or California. So I liked the historical aspects.
Maybe it was the preachy tone I didn't care for. I know many families back in the depression era would have been religious, but sometimes it seemed like the author was just out to teach a lesson or preach a lesson. Also, the plot was a little predictible, so I didn't feel like anything ever happened that hadn't happened in a few other books I'd read.
Overall, this was on okay book if you like historical fiction. But with all the historical fiction available, I can think of better books to tell the story.

Well written lower/middle grade historical fiction about a girl and her family during the Great Depression. I was a little disappointed because I read this is middle school or high school and I remember it being a very meaningful story for me, but upon re-reading I can't remember why I felt that way and didn't connect with it like I remember. Overall it's a good book though.

This book is very good. I recommend this book. It is about this family that moves to TExas. One of the kids is having a hard time getting used to her surroundings. She ends up realizing that she shouldn't take life for granted.

The book The Truth About Sparrows by Marian Hale was published in 2004, a book based on the great depression, a tragic event that occurred the in 1930s. When I first took a glance at the book's cover I didn't think it would be that good, but this book is outstanding. The book The Truth About Sparrows, captured all the essences of life during the great depression through the narrator, a young girl named Sadie Wynn and her family. This book showed the daily life of the Wynn family and all the struggles that they faced through this time. The main thing that I enjoyed about the book was that it was very well detailed. For example instead of just describing their new home in Texas as a very small house, this book went into detail such like describing the look, size and the little details of the shack. I also enjoyed this book, because it was written in a way that I could put myself into the main character's shoes and relate to what was occurring in the book, even though it takes place during the 1930s. Although the characters were from the 1930s, I was still able to relate to them. Another reason that I would rate this book high is because it was a page turner. I couldn't put the book down I just wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. As soon as one event occurred I wanted to keep reading to figure out what would happen next. Finally, I enjoyed reading this book because its allowed me to understand what the depression was like to live in. This book is a great book to read because it has the true facts of the life of a family living through the harsh times of the depression. Hope this review help you make a decision of this book!

I wish I could do 4 1/2 stars. This was really an exceptional book. Historical fiction set during the great depression. (and not depressing) Coming of age type book, extremely well thought out plot, accurate historical details. Really fabulous.

This was an excellent and insightful book about the Great Depression. The description of the land, the job searching, and housing is vivid. The characters are well-developed and the reader gains an appreciation about each. One review classified this book as geared for young adult readers. I believe the appeal would certainly lend to beyond that age group; I enjoyed it immensely! The book is a valuable look into how the time of the Great Depression affected so many.

A great children's book. Well written. A great story. A lot of meaning and good thoughts in this book. I read it for book club.