Thimble Summer facts for kids
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| Author | Elizabeth Enright |
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| Illustrator | Elizabeth Enright |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Farrar & Rinehart |
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Publication date
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1938 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | 9780440486817 |
Thimble Summer is a popular children's novel written by Elizabeth Enright. It won the famous Newbery Medal in 1939, which is a big award for children's books in the United States. The story takes place in the countryside of Wisconsin during the Great Depression, a time in the 1930s when many people faced tough economic challenges.
Contents
Discovering Thimble Summer
This book tells the exciting story of a young girl named Garnet Linden and her amazing summer adventures. It's a tale about hope, good luck, and the simple joys of life on a farm. The novel shows how small things can sometimes lead to big changes.
The Story Begins with a Thimble
The adventure starts when nine-year-old Garnet Linden finds a shiny silver thimble in a dry riverbed. This happens near her family's farm. At this time, a long drought has been hurting the farm and her family's money situation. But on the very evening Garnet finds the thimble, something wonderful happens: a huge rainstorm finally breaks the drought! This brings much-needed water to the land.
Exciting Events of a Magical Summer
After the rain, many exciting things begin to happen for Garnet and her family. It's almost as if the thimble brought them good luck.
Rebuilding the Barn
First, the Linden family gets some unexpected money. This allows them to rebuild their barn, which was very important for their farm. It helps them feel more secure about their future.
Garnet's Pig Wins a Prize
Next, Garnet's beloved pig enters a competition at the local fair. To everyone's delight, her pig wins a blue ribbon! This is a proud moment for Garnet and shows her hard work paid off.
A New Family Member Arrives
Another big event is when a young boy named Eric comes to live with the Lindens. He becomes their adopted son, bringing new joy and a different kind of family bond to the farm.
A Sticky Situation at the Fair
Not all moments are easy, though. During the fair, Garnet finds herself in a tricky spot. She gets stuck high up on the Ferris wheel! She can't get down for almost an hour, and she's worried about missing the start of a show that's supposed to begin soon.
Locked in the Library
In another memorable part of the summer, Garnet and her friend, Citronella, visit the library. They stay so long reading and exploring that they accidentally get locked inside for the entire night! It turns into an unexpected sleepover adventure.
The Magic of the Thimble
With all these wonderful things happening, Garnet starts to believe that the silver thimble she found has magical powers. She feels it brought all the good fortune to her family. Because of all the amazing adventures and happy times, Garnet decides to call that special period her "thimble summer." She promises herself she will always remember it as a time filled with joy and good luck.
