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Shoeshine Girl
Who ever heard of a shoeshine girl?
The last thing Sarah Ida wants to do is spend the summer with her Aunt Claudia. But when her parents send her away because of problems at home, that is exactly what she has to do. With no allowance and no fun to be had, Sarah Ida decides to look for a job. But who will hire a ten year old? Al, the shoeshine man, will!
Sarah loves her job, even if it means getting knee-deep in shoe polish everyday. Then something terrible happens and it looks like the shoeshine stand will have to close forever. If Sarah Ida wants to keep it open, she'll have to learn a few lessons about growing up along the way ...
The last thing Sarah Ida wants to do is spend the summer with her Aunt Claudia. But when her parents send her away because of problems at home, that is exactly what she has to do. With no allowance and no fun to be had, Sarah Ida decides to look for a job. But who will hire a ten year old? Al, the shoeshine man, will!
Sarah loves her job, even if it means getting knee-deep in shoe polish everyday. Then something terrible happens and it looks like the shoeshine stand will have to close forever. If Sarah Ida wants to keep it open, she'll have to learn a few lessons about growing up along the way ...
100 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1975
About the author
Clyde Robert Bulla
109 books104 followersBorn to be a Writer
Almost as far back as he can remember, Clyde Robert Bulla wanted to write. Born on a farm in a small town in Missouri, Mr. Bulla's first school was a one-room country schoolhouse. One day his teacher asked each first grade student what he or she would do with a thousand dollars. Young Clyde answered that he would buy a table. His classmates laughed heartily, and his teacher was puzzled. “What I really meant,” says Mr. Bulla, “is a desk or other flat surface on which to write my stories!”
First Stories
Mr. Bulla's first piece of writing was titled, “How Planets Were Born.” The ambitious opening sentence was, “One night old Mother Moon had a million babies.” All through school, Mr. Bulla continued to write stories mostly, but plays and poetry, too. After years of gathering editor's rejection slips, Mr. Bulla sold a magazine story, then several more. Soon after, Mr. Bulla wrote a novel and a publisher accepted it.
The Difficult Years
In the excitement of publishing a novel, Mr. Bulla wrote two more books. Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish them. His luck took a turn for the worse when the publisher of his first book went bankrupt. For several years, he worked at a local weekly newspaper where he struggled with linotype, kept books, collected bills, and wrote a weekly column.
Success!
A couple of Mr. Bulla's weekly columns caught the attention of a well-known author and illustrator of children's books. She wrote to Mr. Bulla, suggesting that he try writing a children's book. He immediately sent her a manuscript for a children's book he'd written a year before. Within one week, an editor of a New York publisher read the manuscript,and it was accepted. The book was The Donkey Cart, published in 1946. Since then, Mr. Bulla has written over twenty books for children, as well as the music for several children's song books.
About The Chalk Box Kid
“When I was young,” explains Mr. Bulla, “I sometimes found it hard to cope in new surroundings, and I was apt to get off on the wrong foot. This is the story of a boy who got off on the wrong foot in a new school and how he tried to cope.” In describing the chalk garden, Mr. Bulla says, “I gave Gregory something I've always wished for: a big, blank wall that I could cover with my own drawings.”
Almost as far back as he can remember, Clyde Robert Bulla wanted to write. Born on a farm in a small town in Missouri, Mr. Bulla's first school was a one-room country schoolhouse. One day his teacher asked each first grade student what he or she would do with a thousand dollars. Young Clyde answered that he would buy a table. His classmates laughed heartily, and his teacher was puzzled. “What I really meant,” says Mr. Bulla, “is a desk or other flat surface on which to write my stories!”
First Stories
Mr. Bulla's first piece of writing was titled, “How Planets Were Born.” The ambitious opening sentence was, “One night old Mother Moon had a million babies.” All through school, Mr. Bulla continued to write stories mostly, but plays and poetry, too. After years of gathering editor's rejection slips, Mr. Bulla sold a magazine story, then several more. Soon after, Mr. Bulla wrote a novel and a publisher accepted it.
The Difficult Years
In the excitement of publishing a novel, Mr. Bulla wrote two more books. Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish them. His luck took a turn for the worse when the publisher of his first book went bankrupt. For several years, he worked at a local weekly newspaper where he struggled with linotype, kept books, collected bills, and wrote a weekly column.
Success!
A couple of Mr. Bulla's weekly columns caught the attention of a well-known author and illustrator of children's books. She wrote to Mr. Bulla, suggesting that he try writing a children's book. He immediately sent her a manuscript for a children's book he'd written a year before. Within one week, an editor of a New York publisher read the manuscript,and it was accepted. The book was The Donkey Cart, published in 1946. Since then, Mr. Bulla has written over twenty books for children, as well as the music for several children's song books.
About The Chalk Box Kid
“When I was young,” explains Mr. Bulla, “I sometimes found it hard to cope in new surroundings, and I was apt to get off on the wrong foot. This is the story of a boy who got off on the wrong foot in a new school and how he tried to cope.” In describing the chalk garden, Mr. Bulla says, “I gave Gregory something I've always wished for: a big, blank wall that I could cover with my own drawings.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
September 6, 2024
I love Clyde Robert Bulla's writing. From the first time I read The Chalk Box Kid, I was enchanted by the sensitive ease of his stories, the way tender caring inside his good characters (and some of the bad) shows like a watermark on every page. There's something magical about his books, and Shoeshine Girl is arguably his magnum opus.
We aren't given a lot of detail about ten-year-old Sarah Ida's life before the opening pages, which begin with her arrival via train at her Aunt Claudia's house. It seems that Sarah Ida's parents had a none too positive view of their daughter's overall attitude, and frequent clashes between Sarah Ida and her ill mother were making the family environment a growingly hostile one. Sarah Ida takes a diametrically opposed view to that of her parents about who's at fault in the situation, but what really matters now is that she's living with her aunt for the time being, and she has to find a way to make the best of it.
Sarah Ida never could have dreamed of the changes that would come about in her mindset over the next several weeks, and to be honest, I as the reader was also caught off guard. I generally think that I have a pretty good handle on the type of material that will be covered in a Clyde Robert Bulla short novel, but Shoeshine Girl mixes it up by throwing a number of unexpected curves. Which characters will become major players and which will affect the narrative from a less direct perspective is hard to discern ahead of time, and in that kind of storytelling atmosphere, real surprises can happen. And when it comes to Sarah Ida and the community of friends that she eventually comes to see around her in her aunt's hometown, a surprise is almost always waiting just on the other side of the page.
Shoeshine Girl addresses a number of emotional issues, most from the perspective of Sarah Ida. She feels unwanted and even abandoned by her parents, and oppressed by what she sees as the unreasonable behavioral demands of her Aunt Claudia. Regardless of what Sarah Ida might say, she wants to be close to people, but in a new town that is really only a temporary stop, she knows that there might not be much point in putting down roots. She wants to go home, but she's not enthusiastic about the idea of rejoining her parents; so, what's a girl to do who feels that she has already been deemed by the world to be unfit after only ten years of life? Where can she turn to when even her parents have hurt her?
Given much freedom to do what she wishes, Sarah Ida finds herself an unlikely job as a shoeshine girl at a little stand in town. It's not a glamorous position and requires hard physical labor, but it offers Sarah Ida paid wages. However, most important, it is through her employment at the stand and her uncertain, slowly growing relationship with the owner, Mr. Winkler, that Sarah Ida first begins to glimpse the first burgeoning rays of what could be nothing but a light in the darkness, illuminating the tunnel from the other side. What follows is truly something of a mini miracle, changing the hearts of more than one person.
It's remarkable how Clyde Robert Bulla is able to give us such a meaningful, substantial story in only eighty-four pages of large print, many of which are taken up by full-page illustrations. Shoeshine Girl is a wonder of writing, a demonstration that no matter how brief the storytelling, a good author who understands human emotion is never limited in his or her ability to touch us all with a marvelous tale. I would give three and a half stars to Shoeshine Girl, and I strongly considered rounding up that in-between rating to four stars.
We aren't given a lot of detail about ten-year-old Sarah Ida's life before the opening pages, which begin with her arrival via train at her Aunt Claudia's house. It seems that Sarah Ida's parents had a none too positive view of their daughter's overall attitude, and frequent clashes between Sarah Ida and her ill mother were making the family environment a growingly hostile one. Sarah Ida takes a diametrically opposed view to that of her parents about who's at fault in the situation, but what really matters now is that she's living with her aunt for the time being, and she has to find a way to make the best of it.
Sarah Ida never could have dreamed of the changes that would come about in her mindset over the next several weeks, and to be honest, I as the reader was also caught off guard. I generally think that I have a pretty good handle on the type of material that will be covered in a Clyde Robert Bulla short novel, but Shoeshine Girl mixes it up by throwing a number of unexpected curves. Which characters will become major players and which will affect the narrative from a less direct perspective is hard to discern ahead of time, and in that kind of storytelling atmosphere, real surprises can happen. And when it comes to Sarah Ida and the community of friends that she eventually comes to see around her in her aunt's hometown, a surprise is almost always waiting just on the other side of the page.
Shoeshine Girl addresses a number of emotional issues, most from the perspective of Sarah Ida. She feels unwanted and even abandoned by her parents, and oppressed by what she sees as the unreasonable behavioral demands of her Aunt Claudia. Regardless of what Sarah Ida might say, she wants to be close to people, but in a new town that is really only a temporary stop, she knows that there might not be much point in putting down roots. She wants to go home, but she's not enthusiastic about the idea of rejoining her parents; so, what's a girl to do who feels that she has already been deemed by the world to be unfit after only ten years of life? Where can she turn to when even her parents have hurt her?
Given much freedom to do what she wishes, Sarah Ida finds herself an unlikely job as a shoeshine girl at a little stand in town. It's not a glamorous position and requires hard physical labor, but it offers Sarah Ida paid wages. However, most important, it is through her employment at the stand and her uncertain, slowly growing relationship with the owner, Mr. Winkler, that Sarah Ida first begins to glimpse the first burgeoning rays of what could be nothing but a light in the darkness, illuminating the tunnel from the other side. What follows is truly something of a mini miracle, changing the hearts of more than one person.
It's remarkable how Clyde Robert Bulla is able to give us such a meaningful, substantial story in only eighty-four pages of large print, many of which are taken up by full-page illustrations. Shoeshine Girl is a wonder of writing, a demonstration that no matter how brief the storytelling, a good author who understands human emotion is never limited in his or her ability to touch us all with a marvelous tale. I would give three and a half stars to Shoeshine Girl, and I strongly considered rounding up that in-between rating to four stars.
December 20, 2022
Another odd children's book that has been in my family, unread, for decades. Here's its moment to shine. (Ha! I kill me!)
A girl gets sent off to her aunt when her parents suspect she might be sliding into the ways of juvenile delinquency. And the girl does cop an attitude and strong-arms some money out of a neighbor girl.
But as the title reveals, she gets a job to earn her own money. And, fellow capitalists, ain't nothing like hard, honest labor to straighten a punk out and set them on the right path of taking responsibility for their actions and helping others.
That old trope aside, I still liked the book overall, though I did find it surprising and unsettling when the protagonist is revealed to be a ten-year-old snot and child laborer as opposed to the teenager I assumed she was.
A girl gets sent off to her aunt when her parents suspect she might be sliding into the ways of juvenile delinquency. And the girl does cop an attitude and strong-arms some money out of a neighbor girl.
But as the title reveals, she gets a job to earn her own money. And, fellow capitalists, ain't nothing like hard, honest labor to straighten a punk out and set them on the right path of taking responsibility for their actions and helping others.
That old trope aside, I still liked the book overall, though I did find it surprising and unsettling when the protagonist is revealed to be a ten-year-old snot and child laborer as opposed to the teenager I assumed she was.
March 1, 2026
4.5 stars -- When I started this story, I didn't know what to think. Sarah Ida Becker is very angry about being sent to live with her aunt in Palmville. Her mom & dad sent her there for several reasons, but she does not either believe the reasons or like them. She is obviously an angry girl, but she is selfish & rude & inexplicably obsessed with money. When Aunt Claudia won't give Sarah Ida any money & makes her return the money she "borrowed" from the girl down the road, she announces to her aunt that she will get a job. The only job she can find, however, that will take her, a ten-year-old girl, is a job as a shoeshine girl with Al Winkler, a man who has a back story with her aunt at the library. Al may not have a school education, but he is a wise old gentleman all the same. Sarah Ida is lucky to find him because she is so rude to him the first several days. But over a six-week period, she learns more from him than just shining shoes. The ending especially is just terrific.
This is #11 in my 2026 Search & Purge. I would keep it because I think that it is a good story with an even better lesson that my kiddos would benefit from. BUT, my copy is falling apart. Regardless of it being AR and having some circulation, nothing can save a copy which has a heavily taped cover and in which the pages are pulling away from their spine. I cannot repair it, but I will keep an eye out for a newer edition.
This is #11 in my 2026 Search & Purge. I would keep it because I think that it is a good story with an even better lesson that my kiddos would benefit from. BUT, my copy is falling apart. Regardless of it being AR and having some circulation, nothing can save a copy which has a heavily taped cover and in which the pages are pulling away from their spine. I cannot repair it, but I will keep an eye out for a newer edition.
August 9, 2018
Very short read, but packs a lot in and is enjoyable, too. The more I read of Bulla, the more I want to. And apparently somebody else at my new little old library does, too, because at the beginning of this there's the list of Other Books by... and several of them are circled. Sure, technically it's defacing public property, but I think it's cute to see.
November 13, 2025
My daughter was put off by the main character's terrible attitude; Sarah Ida was really bratty and rude in the beginning. N pleaded with me to not have to finish the book, and I agreed, but finished it for myself.
It's the story of a little girl with a chip on her shoulder, who's angry at the world and out to get what she wants. She undergoes a gradual transformation as she befriends an elderly shoe-shiner and learns to care for someone besides herself. It had a good ending, though rather unsatisfying. There was a lot of disrespect towards adults in this story, with no real reconciliation toward those with whom Sarah Ida felt alienated. If there had been a sequel telling the story of her return home and healing her relationship with her parents, it would have made this book better as a whole. Just knowing that there's no resolution of these issues leaves me to conclude that this book is not really worth it. Skip this one for something better.
It's the story of a little girl with a chip on her shoulder, who's angry at the world and out to get what she wants. She undergoes a gradual transformation as she befriends an elderly shoe-shiner and learns to care for someone besides herself. It had a good ending, though rather unsatisfying. There was a lot of disrespect towards adults in this story, with no real reconciliation toward those with whom Sarah Ida felt alienated. If there had been a sequel telling the story of her return home and healing her relationship with her parents, it would have made this book better as a whole. Just knowing that there's no resolution of these issues leaves me to conclude that this book is not really worth it. Skip this one for something better.
May 11, 2022
It’s funny how a book that came out in the 1970s for a little kids actually seems to do a better job than most books do now are telling a story properly if you have little kids especially a young girl this might be a book to give a whirl.
December 20, 2022
This was going along fine and I was enjoying it, but I did not like the ending at all.
December 24, 2021
Sullen and self-absorbed 10-year-old Sarah Ida is sent by train to live with her aunt for the summer. She gets a job at a shoeshine shop where she (and the reader) learn what are the truly valuable aspects of life – and it’s not money after-all. When Sarah returns home on the train at the end of the summer, she is a changed person for the better. I highly recommend this book for elementary-age children, who will finish the book as changed persons – for the better.
May 21, 2024
one of my favorite for this year!!
this book addresses a number of emotional issues, the book is a wonder of writing, a demonstration that no matter how brief the storytelling it can get the idea across.
I did find it surprising when the protagonist is revealed to be a ten year old girl and child because i assumed she was supposed to be a teen!
This is a good book for teaching kids and also teenagers the value of responsibility, caring for others, and selflessness.
# VERDICT: ( 7.7/10)
this book addresses a number of emotional issues, the book is a wonder of writing, a demonstration that no matter how brief the storytelling it can get the idea across.
I did find it surprising when the protagonist is revealed to be a ten year old girl and child because i assumed she was supposed to be a teen!
This is a good book for teaching kids and also teenagers the value of responsibility, caring for others, and selflessness.
# VERDICT: ( 7.7/10)
April 9, 2025
This story is about a girl who honestly really sucks at the beginning, and then becomes humble after she learns about the importance of hard work. Very quick and easy read, though there's some conflict introduced with a different boy who worked for the shoeshine business before her that I felt like didn't really go anywhere.
March 9, 2022
Unpacking some classics from my childhood home. It's probably been at least twenty-five years since I read this book. A sweet story about the value of people and hard work. Nice to spend some time with an old friend this afternoon.
September 8, 2021
It was a really amazing book I really like it
February 3, 2023
Berkisah tentang Sarah yg berlibur ke rumah tantenya. Ketika ia minta uang, sang Tante tak beri. Sarah pun mencari kerja. Ia menjadi penyemir sepatu, bahkan ketika sang pemilik masuk RS. Ringan dan hangat 💙
September 16, 2013
Sarah Ida has just been sent to spend the summer at her Aunt Claudia's house. Everyone is against her since her friend was caught shoplifting. She's not allowed an allowance because she had spent all her pocket money at home, and she gets in trouble when she convinces her new friend to give her all her savings. Infuriated, she starts working for Al shining shoes, thinking her aunt will feel bad that her niece has been reduced to shining shoes in order to get pocket money. Instead to her surprise her aunt thinks it's a good idea. When Al is hit by a car while crossing the street, Sarah Ida suddenly finds herself rising to the challenge - can she keep his business open to help support him while he's in the hospital?
It seemed a tiny bit preachy when I read it the second time, but when I was a kid I really liked it. (Younger me also wasn't bothered by the idea of a 10 year old working full time either.) This is a good book for teaching kids the value of responsibility, caring for others, and selflessness. My copy looks a little dated - Sarah Ida's outfits in the drawings are so retro-cool now!
It seemed a tiny bit preachy when I read it the second time, but when I was a kid I really liked it. (Younger me also wasn't bothered by the idea of a 10 year old working full time either.) This is a good book for teaching kids the value of responsibility, caring for others, and selflessness. My copy looks a little dated - Sarah Ida's outfits in the drawings are so retro-cool now!
January 29, 2024
Sarah Ida's father is away from home quite often, and Sarah and her mother don't get along very well. Sarah feels that her parents don't care because they don't pay any attention to her. However, when she starts running with the wrong crowd at school, they take notice. Sarah's parents decide that she should spend the summer with her Aunt Claudia in Palmville. Sarah resents her parents' decision and feels that they simply want to get rid of her. So, she goes to Palmville with a ready-made chip on her shoulder. Her resentment grows when Aunt Claudia refuses to give her any spending money. Sarah vows to get a job, and Aunt Claudia calls her bluff. To save face, Sarah gets a job with Al, the shoeshine man. Because of Al, Sarah resolves her frustration toward her parents and begins to feel a sense of self-worth. When Al is hit by a car, Sarah carries on the business by herself.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
October 29, 2014
I've read this book more than once and I still love it. It's has a great story line and I really like it. The part I really love is that when Sarah starting working at the shoeshine store with Al, the old man, she was really not get used to it and feels weird. The part I don't like is that when Al is hit by a car while crossing the street and bought some supplies. It was sad, I mean, for me it was. I really love the writer of this book how she writes the settings, details and the dialogue that she add it. I give this book a 5 star!
July 22, 2024
This was a great story about a girl who goes to live with her aunt for awhile. She's a tough edged girl who doesn't want to spend time with her aunt and does want some money so she starts working with a guy at a shoe stand. She shines shoes and learns to love the customers and the man she works with. He gets in an accident and she takes over and really steps up. She has to go home and she finds herself not wanting to leave. I wanted more of her story! I wanted more of her parents and Rossi. Overall very good.
February 28, 2020
I am a bookseller in the kid's department, so I accidently stumbled upon this book while cleaning up the shelves. The blurb looked good, so I decided to check it out. What a fantastic story! A beautiful lesson in character-building value of honest work and simple, but heart-warming decency of the small-town folk. Very highly recommend for any eight to ten year old! On the side note - the copywrite date is 1975; figures, as nobody would greenlight this story today.
May 2, 2016
Read for the 2016 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge.
April 9, 2026
Yet another childhood book that lives in the far reaching of my mind's attic. Subconsciously, whenever I re-tie my shoes, I think about this book. Since I've been recently revisiting some of these random, obscure books that I vaguelly remember, I decided to get this one from the library.
Once again, I'm amazed by how much of this book I remember once I got reading it. The main character, Sarah Ida, is sent to live with her aunt so that her parents can have a break. And no wonder: Sarah Ida is a sullen, ungrateful, entitled brat who expects her aunt to just hand her some cash because she likes to "have a little money in her pocket". Sarah Ida immediately takes advantage of another girl living in her aunt's building, manipulating her into letting Sara Ida take most of the money out of her piggybank. When confronted, Sarah Ida storms out, vowing to get a job so that she can have her own money.
To give credit where credit is due: she DOES follow through. She asks around, but no one wants to hire a ten year old girl, until she's pointed to an old man, Al, who runs a shoeshine stand. He begrudgingly teaches her the task, and she starts working for him.
Like other books by this author, this one is very short, with sparse writing and limited dialogue....but somehow it works. Over a very short book, Sarah Ida has strong character growth as she learns the value of earning her own money (and not blowing it immediately on candy), and the value in other people. When Al tells her a story about winning a medal in school, and then shows her the little medal that he's cherished all these years, she initially scoffs at the cheap piece of tin....but soon feels bad, and is grateful when he silently forgives her. Later that medal becomes deeply sentimental to her as well as him.
Oh, and the part of the book that I thought about often? Al tells Sarah Ida some of his shoeshine wisdom: "When a customer comes here, he gets more than a shine...When you ties his shoes a little tighter, it makes his shoes fit better. My customers go away feeling a little better. Anyway, I hope they do."
(The other thing that I THOUGHT I remembered from this book was Al taking Sarah Ida to his apartment and showing how he cleans the floors by strapping scrub brushes to his shoes and skating around...Turns out: not this book. That scene never happened. A quick google search reveals that there's another obscure book that I've forgotten called "A Girl Called Al", which also features some pre-teen girls making friends with the old man in their building who does the skating thing. Similar style books, both featuring someone named Al.....I guess I merged those books together in my brain's attic.)
Once again, I'm amazed by how much of this book I remember once I got reading it. The main character, Sarah Ida, is sent to live with her aunt so that her parents can have a break. And no wonder: Sarah Ida is a sullen, ungrateful, entitled brat who expects her aunt to just hand her some cash because she likes to "have a little money in her pocket". Sarah Ida immediately takes advantage of another girl living in her aunt's building, manipulating her into letting Sara Ida take most of the money out of her piggybank. When confronted, Sarah Ida storms out, vowing to get a job so that she can have her own money.
To give credit where credit is due: she DOES follow through. She asks around, but no one wants to hire a ten year old girl, until she's pointed to an old man, Al, who runs a shoeshine stand. He begrudgingly teaches her the task, and she starts working for him.
Like other books by this author, this one is very short, with sparse writing and limited dialogue....but somehow it works. Over a very short book, Sarah Ida has strong character growth as she learns the value of earning her own money (and not blowing it immediately on candy), and the value in other people. When Al tells her a story about winning a medal in school, and then shows her the little medal that he's cherished all these years, she initially scoffs at the cheap piece of tin....but soon feels bad, and is grateful when he silently forgives her. Later that medal becomes deeply sentimental to her as well as him.
Oh, and the part of the book that I thought about often? Al tells Sarah Ida some of his shoeshine wisdom: "When a customer comes here, he gets more than a shine...When you ties his shoes a little tighter, it makes his shoes fit better. My customers go away feeling a little better. Anyway, I hope they do."
(The other thing that I THOUGHT I remembered from this book was Al taking Sarah Ida to his apartment and showing how he cleans the floors by strapping scrub brushes to his shoes and skating around...Turns out: not this book. That scene never happened. A quick google search reveals that there's another obscure book that I've forgotten called "A Girl Called Al", which also features some pre-teen girls making friends with the old man in their building who does the skating thing. Similar style books, both featuring someone named Al.....I guess I merged those books together in my brain's attic.)
January 12, 2020
Sarah Ida dengan terpaksa banget menjalani liburan musim panasnya di desa Palmville, di rumah bibinya. Ia sebetulnya diasingkan ke Palmville sepanjang liburan panjang ini, karena banyak masalah dan konflik yang sedang terjadi di rumah. Terutama agar ia tidak salah bergaul juga. Sarah Ida ingin kabur saja rasanya saat kereta api sudah berhenti, namun Bibi Claudia sudah melihatnya. Terlambat. .
.
Ia tak punya uang jajan sepeser pun. Jatah jajannya sudah habis. Ia begitu ingin punya uang dan memutuskan untuk bekerja di tukang semir sepatu.
Apa yang Sarah pelajari dari pengalamannya selama bekerja di tempat semir sepatu Al? Banyak pengalaman yang mengubahkan hati Sarah Ida. Gaya penulis menyuarakan suara batin Sarah Ida itu pas banget. Membumi banget. Masa-masa preteen, yang tendensinya memberontak terhadap otoritas. Dulu pun saya begitu. Jadi bercermin.
Cocok untuk free reading juga karena bahasa Inggrisnya sederhana.
#shoeshinegirl #agendasekolahrumahbooklist
#agendasekolahrumah2020 #freereading #childrenliterature #childrenbook #clyderobertbulla #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasoninspired #booksweread #viena7yearsold
.
Ia tak punya uang jajan sepeser pun. Jatah jajannya sudah habis. Ia begitu ingin punya uang dan memutuskan untuk bekerja di tukang semir sepatu.
Apa yang Sarah pelajari dari pengalamannya selama bekerja di tempat semir sepatu Al? Banyak pengalaman yang mengubahkan hati Sarah Ida. Gaya penulis menyuarakan suara batin Sarah Ida itu pas banget. Membumi banget. Masa-masa preteen, yang tendensinya memberontak terhadap otoritas. Dulu pun saya begitu. Jadi bercermin.
Cocok untuk free reading juga karena bahasa Inggrisnya sederhana.
#shoeshinegirl #agendasekolahrumahbooklist
#agendasekolahrumah2020 #freereading #childrenliterature #childrenbook #clyderobertbulla #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasoninspired #booksweread #viena7yearsold
October 29, 2019
This is just about the most beautiful little story that I have read in a long time.
As an adult, when I read children's books, I put myself in the place of the adults in the stories and ask myself what I would do and say if I were in their situations. I need to learn more and glean more wisdom from wise adults in fiction! Aunt Claudia handled Sarah Ida very nicely when she first arrived. I was thinking I might try to be witty or too lovey dovey or even tell more truth than needed to be told. I learned a lot from Aunt Claudia's few perfectly scripted wise lines.
As an adult, when I read children's books, I put myself in the place of the adults in the stories and ask myself what I would do and say if I were in their situations. I need to learn more and glean more wisdom from wise adults in fiction! Aunt Claudia handled Sarah Ida very nicely when she first arrived. I was thinking I might try to be witty or too lovey dovey or even tell more truth than needed to be told. I learned a lot from Aunt Claudia's few perfectly scripted wise lines.
May 7, 2023
This is my second Clyde Robert Bulla early chapter book and I really enjoyed this one. It's about a girl named Sarah Ida who is sent to spend the summer with her aunt in a small town. Sarah Ida is wanting money to spend and eventually gets a job at a shoeshine stand, owned by an elderly man named Al.
I found this book to really be complex for such an early read. Sarah Ida is a complex character. There is a good arch in her and with the plot. While I wish it had been longer, I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in realistic fiction for early-chapter readers. My rating - 5/5
I found this book to really be complex for such an early read. Sarah Ida is a complex character. There is a good arch in her and with the plot. While I wish it had been longer, I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in realistic fiction for early-chapter readers. My rating - 5/5
October 24, 2022
I loved how shoe shine girl finds a work ethic. However, the character does not ring true of a 10 year old girl- mostly because of the whole “ I need money in my pocket” and whistling down the street. Really? Sounds more like a young man. And right… it is a male author. Sorry but I’ve read so many many books for youngsters and being a teacher of this age group, the surliness of this girl is just more like a teen or older. It gets better but not much.
June 7, 2024
Great story about a girl who wanted money and found a way to earn it. A lot happens along the way including a transformation of sorts in Sarah Ida. YES, this is a children’s chapter book. One that I have held on to since I was probably around 8 or 10 when it arrived in the mail one month as part of the “Weekly Reader Children’s Book Club.” I will probably donate it to a nearby Little Free Library along with several other Weekly Reader books I still have.
September 1, 2018
I love Clyde Robert Bulla. His writing is so down-to-earth about ordinary things. This story is about a girl who is sent to live with her aunt while her mother is ill. The girl has not been cooperative at home, and the aunt has been given instructions about how to treat her, instructions the girl does not like. This book is about how she copes and learns and grows.
September 29, 2022
I don’t like her name cause it’s pointless to have that second name so I just read it to my daughter as Sarah. I ignored that second name. Also the change in the main story happened suddenly - and from the arrogant girl she seemed to be, she turned goody two shoes too fast without a tie into character development. Seems like the first half of the book was about a different girl altogether.
May 13, 2024
It was a nice story and I liked the character growth. Although at times it felt like information was missing. For example, was there actually a group in the neighborhood that would rob people or was that just made up to mess with her. It also skipped a bit in the development of the relationship betweent the main characters and those around her.
July 3, 2020
Livro infantil de qualidade, que enfatiza a importância atribuída ao dinheiro, amizade e nobreza de carácter.
Interessante, moralista e educativo.
Li a versão Sarah Ida, em francês destinada a crianças com dez anos de idade.
Interessante, moralista e educativo.
Li a versão Sarah Ida, em francês destinada a crianças com dez anos de idade.
October 17, 2020
LOVED this book. It teaches responsibility, ownership, dependability, love and so much more. If I could give a copy to every neighborhood child,... Hey! Maybe I can! This is an uplifting story of trust and hard work and respect. Read it!
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