The Truth About Sparrows by Marian Hale is a historical fiction novel about a young girl named Sadie Wynn who has to move out to Texas with her parents and four siblings (with one on the way) during the Great Depression because of the dust bowl. She family struggles with trying to make a living and dealing with the challenges of having a disabled father. At first, Sadie is upset because her best friend Wilma had left for California not long before and even though a new girl named Dollie was trying to be friends with her, Sadie didn't want to become close with her but soon began to accept her friendship. Sadie also doesn't realize that even though her life may not be as great as she wants it to be, it's still better than others' lives.

I think it was a really good book and I think I'd read it again. Although I kind of had to read it because it was for a school assignment, I'm glad that I picked it up and read it. I would honestly recommend it to anyone because I don't think you have to like only this specific genre to like this book. It also has a good life lesson: appreciate what you have. I think it teaches is that we should "count our blessings" and to not constantly want things when what we have is good enough. The Truth About Sparrows deserves 4/5 stars and I hope this is persuasive enough so that you will read it.

After I read this book I realized how much I had, and not to take it for granted! This book is also pretty funny! I like it because it tells a great story, about a girl and her family struggling to stay alive.

A nice clean book with a forgettable story.

This book shows poverty and struggle,throughout the story you see the main character Sadie become more and more deppressd. She had to leave her home amd everything she loved to go to a far away place.She must make new freinds,and a new life.The setting is during the great deppression.Sadie and her family live happily ever after.If you like storys about struggle and hope read this book you wont regret it.

The author wants the reader to understand what this girl had to go through, The strugges she overcame, and her greatest achievments[for example she must live her life as a young lady instead she is teased by others who wish they were as lucky as her.] Marian Hale made this book especially for young readers. If you like a story with ups and downs then read this book. Hale wants you to understand and learn from this book, she wants you to imagine yourself in sadies position, What would you do?

My twelve-year-old and I adored this story! Even though it’s not Christian fiction, there were so many biblical truths about forgiveness and friendship and gratitude. The characterization, historical setting, and rise and fall of daily life vs adventure were masterful! This is a book we will own and reread.

Note: there were a couple of ghost stories that we chose to skip over which didn’t take away from our enjoyment of the book.

Thank you thank you Jess for this recommendation! I loved this book! It's a young adult book, not too long, and absolutely squeaky clean and uplifting, with good lessons learned--everything I like in a book. Plus the story was a bit unusual--it follows a family through their Depression Era struggles--I don't want to give away any of the plot, but I liked it ever so much. Recommended for anyone who likes Anne of G. G. or Little House on the Prairie--probably about age 10 and up.

I thought a lot of Mike's grandma who often told us stories of her memories of living through the depression. Perhaps that is why I felt connected to this book. I really enjoyed this book...it made me laugh and cry. I couldn't put it down! It is well written!! Although it tuggs at the heartstrings, it tells the truth. It helped remind me that it is necessay to move on through life with grace and kindness, even after hard times. I loved how in the midst of her trials, Sadie, reached out to someone even less fortunate than her, which in turn helped her count her blessings and move on. I would definitely reccomend this to any of you.

Sadie is a girl living in Missouri when the Great Depression affects her family and they are forced to move to Texas so her father can begin his new career as a fisherman. Sadie doesn't want to leave her life in Missouri; she loves her house, her school, and her best friend Mary. Sadie meets Dolly at her new house which is now a shack, but Sadie can never fully appreciate what Dolly is doing for her because she is faithful to her friendship with Mary. Once Sadie realizes that she needs to be appreciative for what she has and not dread on her life in Missouri, then she sees all of the great things that Texas has given her. This book can help readers identify to Sadie if they ever felt like they were abandoning past friendships by moving. I think Sadie is an inspiring character because she realizes her flaws and does the best to fix them. While learning about the Great Depression and after reading this book, students can make connections between Sadie's life changing and how and what was affected by the Great Depression, such as having to live in a shack, or Sadie having to go to work at only 13 years old.
Hale, M. (2004). The truth about sparrows. New York, New York: Henry Holt.

Marian Hale seems to be starting a career writing pseudo-historical fiction. The Truth about Sparrows could have been better and could have been worse. Sadie, the narrator, makes mistakes, feels horrible about them, uses the bible to interpret things one way, then realizes that she was completely wrong and finds her way again. Now repeat this several times and you have a novel! I felt that some of the realistic or historical details smoothed things out a bit. For example, Sadie and her friend help Sadie's mom give birth to a baby in a pecan grove. While all the details were accurate, I didn't think that conveyed what it would actually be like to, you know, have a baby in a pecan grove.

This book has been sitting on my TBR stack since it was published in 2004. The Truth About Sparrows is a solid middle grade historical fiction look at life during the Great Depression. Sadie and her family have to move from Ohio after losing everything. She's especially sad about losing her best friend, Wilma, who also has to move. Although they do find a place to live and new friends, Sadie continues to wish for her old life.

I love this book! Taking place during the Great Depression, The Truth About Sparrows creates a whole new world where if you can't make do with what you have, you don't survive. It teaches you that you can be happy with very little. As long as you have your family and friends, you'll be okay.

Overall, this was a nice story that I would recommend to students, especially those learning about the Great Depression. But I found it moved slowly. It seemed each chapter ended with Sadie, the main character, reviewing her thoughts. The ending was predictable but beautiful and empowering for a young girl.