Spuds

by Karen Hesse, Wendy Watson (Illustrator)

Newbery medalist Karen Hesse has crafted a heartwarming story set in the backwoods of Maine that glows with integrity, love, and true family values.


Ma's been working so hard, she doesn't have much left over. So her three kids decide to do some work on their own. In the dark of night, they steal into their rich neighbor's potato fields in hopes of collecting the strays that have been left to rot. They dig flat-bellied in the dirt, hiding from passing cars, and drag a sack of spuds through the frost back home. But in the light, the sad truth is their bag is full of stones! Ma is upset when she sees what they've done, and makes them set things right. But in a surprise twist, they learned they have helped the farmer (contd.)

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Family, Fiction, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Poverty

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2008

About the author

Karen Hesse is an American author known for her children's and young adult literature, often set in historical contexts. She received the Newbery Medal for Out of the Dust (1997), a verse novel about a young girl enduring the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. Hesse’s works frequently tackle complex themes, as seen in Witness (2001), which explores the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in a 1920s Vermont town, and The Music of Dolphins (1996), which tells the story of a girl raised by dolphins. Her novel Stowaway (2000) is based on the real-life account of a boy aboard Captain Cook’s Endeavour. Over her career, Hesse has received numerous accolades, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 2002 and the Phoenix Award for Letters from Rifka (1992).

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this author’s book Come On, Rain!, illustrated by the brilliant Jon J. Muth. That’s why I read this book.

This one was just okay. I liked it, but it didn’t feel that special to me, even if I wasn’t comparing it with the other book.

I love potatoes and thought they’d sound irresistible here; I’d been planning to warn potential readers not to read this on an empty stomach.

The story’s language dialect didn’t appeal to me and seemed kind of stilted. The story itself was rather sweet. Three young siblings, who are obviously poor, go in the night (while their mother is at work) to get the remains of a neighbor’s potato harvest, potatoes that might otherwise rot in the fields. The lessons here of being honest, confessing wrongdoing, being not only forgiven but welcomed and given opportunities, well they work okay. I did like the potato farmer. In my opinion, not enough page time was given to those pan-crisp potatoes.

While the illustrations fit this story, and the style in which it’s told, perfectly, they weren’t my favorites.

So, I liked both story and illustrations but didn’t love them.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one more since I absolutely loved Hesse's Come On, Rain! but this one just seemed a little flat to me. The storytelling meandered a bit and it just didn't seem to have the vibrancy and zest of characterization of the aforementioned book. That said, it's a worthwhile story about hard times, family love, and maintaining honesty and integrity even in the face of self-sacrifice.

[Morgan Dunton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for a lesson on poverty. The story involves a family that struggles to have food on the table every night. The children begin to sneak around trying to take potatoes, although they end up collecting stones instead. This shows students how difficult it can be for some families to afford food.

[Jamey Fischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: 3 siblings live with their Ma, who works very hard to provide them with the little that they have. The oldest girl devises a plan to try and help out their Ma when she leaves to work night shift one day. She convinced her two younger brothers to come along with to a potato field and try and gather some spuds that were lost in the dirt after harvest.

Opinion: This book made me want to make as many things as I can out of potatoes. Granted, that definitely wasn't the point of the book, nor were there even very many potatoes actually in the story. One thing I enjoyed in this book was some of the vivid description of different ways they were looking forward to eating the potatoes. The color scheme in this book is also very visually appealing.

How I would use it: This book would be good to use to learn about poverty. Some observations about poverty in the book can be the way the people speak, the clothes the characters wear, the mom leaving to work nightshift and mostly only having potatoes to eat.

[Lexi Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about the three children of a single mother who is working overtime to make ends meet. However, they never seem to have enough to eat. The kids, Jack, Maybelle, and Eddie, decide to give her a little help by scavenging the neighbor's field of potatoes that he left after his harvest. Well, they filled their sack and went on their way. They were very disappointed when they realized that they had mostly collected rocks since it was dark. However, their mother made them return the sack to the farmer who tells them that they did him a service by taking the rocks out of the field. In the end, they do get to keep the potatoes that they collected, but they learn a very valuable lesson.
This is a good book for young readers that teaches a lesson about not stealing and being honest. It is a very good story that uses a lot of country dialect that makes it amusing for kids who are not used to that vocabulary, and relatable for kids who are.

[Jsmith42harding.Edu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book i about a family that struggles more so than most. The character are three children or different age groups and a mother who works very hard and sacrifices a lot to keep her children happy. The kids notice that their momma has been working extra hard lately, so they decide to go take the potatoes from their neighbors farm to help out their momma around the house, but when they get back to the house after they sneaky mischievous night, they notice something very strange about hose there potatoes they done harvested...

I really enjoyed the realness of this book. It did a wonderful job of portraying the emotions of a low income family working really hard to make ends meet.

In the classroom, I would use this book o teach kids about the difference between honesty, and doing something wrong, but with good intentions.

[Abbey Archer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spuds, a Newbery medalist, is a story set in Maine where Ma and her three children live. Ma has been working endlessly to support her children. However, one night the three children decide to sneak over to their neighbor’s potato farm and try to collect any leftover potatoes. When they go to search their bag full of potatoes the next morning they realize it is full of stones. Later, the children learned that this actually helped the farmer. While this book can teach a valuable lesson about stealing, it can also teach the readers about love and family. The three children do whatever they need to do to help support their Ma. The illustrations in this book are very soft and calm. I loved the underlying lessons this book has and because of that I would include it in my classroom library for my future students to have access to.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My children quite enjoyed this story of three siblings determined to help their overworked mother by gleaning their neighbor’s harvested potato field, hoping to collect lots of left-behind spuds to fill their bellies any number of tasty ways. Unfortunately, in the dark of night, stones can be mistaken for potatoes, and the children are utterly disappointed to learn that all their hard work resulted almost exclusively of clearing rocks from the field.

The illustrations and writing convey the suspense of nearly getting caught, the deflation of disappointment, the humility of confession, and the familial warmth of relationships rekindled over salty, crispy, hot potatoes.

[Madison Ramsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is about a trio of siblings. These kids are worried about their mom working so hard. So, the children sneak out in the middle the night, while their mother is working, to steal some potatoes from a neighbor. However, when the kids return home, they find that most of the potatoes are actually rocks. When their mother finds out what the children have done, she makes them return the potatoes and apologize to their neighbor.

This story will be good to teach about honesty. However, there is not much else I would use this book for.

[Misbah · Rating 3 out of 5]

After their mom has trouble ooting food on the table a group of siblings steal potatoes from a neighbors farm. When they get home they realize they had brought back mostly stones.
Their mom finds out and makes them go and apologize. The man they stole from takes pity on them and tells them to come back next harvest and take out stones from his field - and any potatoes they come across are theirs to keep. They go home happy for his kindness and have a nice meal with the parties they found.


Sweet but it was heartbreaking reading about their hunger.

[Javier Trost · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple story from a much simpler time. The artwork is amazing and really sets the mood for a harmless adventure. I would recommend the story for 5-7 year olds. The main message that I think can be taught is that even if you have a good intention in your heart, you shouldn't do something wrong. It turns out well in the end and it shows the importance of communication and the potential enjoyment family time around a good meal can have.

It's a quick read.

[Jannell Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was decent. However, the story didn't exceptionally peak my interest. It was enlightening about a family struggling to put food on the table, most likely during the potato famine. The ending was good, as the children did get food to eat, this was a satisfying end.

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't wild about the folksy tone used by the narrator of this one. Wendy Watson's illustrations were cute, however.

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/3/19 Read with Julia

[IUS F19 Katelyn Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about the importance of family, responsibility, and telling the truth. Three siblings discover that there are cosequences to their actions, but telling the truth is always the answer.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uses colloquial language and storytelling. Nice story for learning about how sometimes the intent is more important than the result. And sometimes we need to be reminded of the things that matter.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

“And I knew right then, our ma, she loved us big, so big that love of hers could turn even three little spuds like us into something mighty fine.”

A story told by children in country-style language. A tale of poverty, theft, humor, and a kind-hearted neighbor. The dim/dark artwork is creation of pencils, colored ink, watercolor, and gouache.

[Kaitlin Eck · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2008) This was an adorably-illustrated book with a solid moral message that stealing is immoral. It’s a cute book to use with younger children, but I don’t see myself using it in a school setting.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was worried that this book would encourage stealing. I've read several lately that think that lying is no big deal. Thankfully, it did not. I wasn't overly impressed with either the story or the illustrations, however.

[Hunter Kleinow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked reading this book, but I thought that it was interesting to see how the characters were portrayed in a different time. I did think the book was a little slow but it was interesting.

[Luann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be an excellent choice in a writing lesson as an example of first-person narrative. It is also a nice example of voice, although some of the expressions used will be unfamiliar to students. This could also be used as part of a unit on character education.

I'm surprised the setting wasn't more clearly stated since it is integral to the story. The illustrations help give clues to the time period by showing items like a woodburning cook stove, an old-fashioned washboard, and an older model car. (I don't know cars, but people who know cars will know exactly which car is in the illustration.) Of course these are things you can still find in some country houses, so they don't definitively pinpoint the time period the story takes place. It feels like it is sometime during the Depression. I would also love to know which state this is set in (somewhere in the Midwest?) and if it is based on a true story.

As far as the story itself, I quite liked it. I really felt for the kids who are obviously making the best of a tough situation. The point wasn't made very strongly, but they were in the field after the harvesters had been there so were picking up potatoes left behind. Of course that doesn't mean it was right for them to "harvest" the potatoes without asking! They should have asked the farmer, Mr. Kenney, and I bet he would have let them harvest some potatoes in the daytime.

[Madison Niksich]

Hesse, K., & Watson, W. (2008). Spuds. New York: Scholastic Press.

Spuds by Karen Hesse is about a family of three kids who decide they want to gather potatoes from their neighbor, Mr. Kenney’s field. When their mother goes out to work the night shift, they head to the field. They sneak around the farm gathering potatoes and return how with three large bags full.
Little do they know that instead they gathered stones. They become upset and their mother makes them go apologize to Mr. Kenney. Mr. Kenney tells them that if they gather stones for him in the future he will allow them to take any spuds they may happen to find. The next week their mother bakes up some delicious potatoes as they all sit at the dinner table enjoying every bite. At first glance it is hard to notice that this book is historical fiction. Looking closer although, it becomes clear that the setting and clothing the characters are wearing display that these children lived in the past. Although this is a well-written book, it failed to grab my attention right away. When I got further in the story, I became more invested. Spuds is an easy read with a unique story about values and doing the right thing. Teachers can use this in a historical lesson about farming or living in a time when children struggled to receive food on the table.

[Kelly Wiegand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kelly Wiegand
February 2, 2015
EDL54500 Library Materials for Children and Youth

Title: Spuds

Author: Karen Hesse

Plot: This story follows three siblings as they set out to gather spuds from their neighbors field so they can have a feast. All goes well until they get home and have gathered stones instead of left over spuds from the harvest. When their mother finds out they are sent to apologize to their neighbor for intending to steal the spuds from his fields; however he turns out to be pleased with their help from clearing the stones.

Setting: South

Characters: Maybelle; Jack; Eddie; Ma; Mr. Kenny

Point-of-View: First Person (Jack's Perspective)

Themes: Family; Integrity; Love

Style: Fiction

Copyright: 2008

Reflection: This was a fun and tough book to read aloud because of the accent the author gives her characters. It was a sweet story that can be used for lessons on righting mistakes made.

[Jonathan Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, three children decide that they are going to harvest all of the extra potatoes laying around in their neighbor’s field after they see their mother just scraping by to feed them every night. One night, when their Ma goes to work, the three children bundle up and head out into the field. Because it is night, they work quickly and quietly. When they got home, however, they dump out their sacks to find they have gathered rocks instead of potatoes. Ma got home, found out, and made them promise to return them to Mr. Kenney’s field. When they told Mr. Kenney the next day, he laughed and told them to come back again after harvest next year to help clean his field again, but they could also have however many potatoes they found. This is a sweet story, and one that I wasn’t really expecting. I think there’s a lot to learn for kids about responsibility and telling the truth and family. I enjoyed it!

[Megan Boomgarden]

I think one of the most interesting elements of this book is the use of illustrations to help display the setting of the book. at no point in the story does this book mention anything about what time period it is set in, but immediatly i imagined the characters living in the early 1900's. The colors and detailing is what leads me to this assumption. The colors are more of the darker, earthy, dulled tones of browns and dark greens that give the pictures and old, dirty vibe. Also the kids are wearing overalls and bonnets and more of the "olden day" style. I think teh way the pictures are drawn adds a lot to the story. The book would have a completely different meaning and setting if the illustrations were made brighter and updated to a more recent and trendy look. this book is a good example of the story depending on the pictures and vise versa. they both work together.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this book browsing in our library at school. It's a story of poverty, and young children trying to help their hard working mother. While their mother is at work, three children go late at night into a neighbor's potato field to pick up potatoes so they can have a good meal of spuds. All the ingredients are here to have a great conversation about honesty definitely being the best policy. When the children get home, they discover they've mostly picked up rocks and very few potatoes, but when Mom finds out where even the rocks have come from, she makes the kids take them back and apologize to the farmer. The ending is a good one, with everything working out okay and the children get a meal of spuds after all, and a lesson learned. The illustrations are nice, mostly at night, showing the characters’ expression well, and the setting is beautifully represented.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three children steal out late at night to pick potatoes from a neighboring field. They want to help their mother who has to work every night. They spend hours picking potatoes only to find that most of what they've picked is rocks. When Mother finds out what they've done she orders them to march back over to the filed to admit to the farmer what they did and return the stolen potatoes. When the children arrive back at the farm and tell their tale, the farmer laughs and tells them that they are welcome to come pick rocks out of his field anytime they want to. And if they happen to find any potatoes along the way, they are welcome to keep those.

A beautiful story of children trying to help out when times are tough.

[Tim Snell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Genre: Historical Fiction
Copyright: 2008

"Spuds" follows 3 young children and their mother during struggling times. With no father, the children's mother must work long hours to provide for her family. The children devise a plan to help their mother out, but end up surprising themselves more than their mother.

This story was okay. I would have liked a little more background about the families situation. I can only assume the story takes place during the Great Depression. The illustrations are good, and the story has a good moral, but I still would have liked more background information either before or after the story.

[Teresa Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about a family down on their luck. Probably historical fiction based on the pictures but very timely in these uncertain economic times. Children trying to help their hard working mother - no father is mention, sneak out in the cold dark night to glean spuds from a neighbors newly harvested potato patch. They come home to find a harsh surprise awaiting them not to mention mom is none to pleased to hear that they did not seek the owner's permission to look for the left over potatoes. The pictures add a lot to the story giving it a historical feeling of either the 1930-1940 time period. I read this with first graders and found that the word spud was not part of their vocabulary.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even poverty and hunger doesn't mean wrong equals right. When their mom leaves the house to work the night shift, Maybelle, Jack, and Eddie creep into a neighbor's potato field and fill up three huge sacks of taters, hoping their mama will fry them up into something delicious. But when the children finally come home, they find the 'spuds' in their sacks are rocks and stones...and mama walks in, asks what they're doing, and grounds them for stealing. Kindness, forgiveness, and neighborly-sharing is what the farmer dishes out, when the three kids go back to Mr. Kenney to apologize.