Away from Home

Grandma's Attic #5

by Arleta Richardson

Continues the adventures of Mabel, now sixteen, as she leaves home to go to the academy in town, where she stays with relatives and enjoys being grown up.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Childrens, Christian Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade

159 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Arleta Richardson was an author, librarian, and a teacher. The Grandma's Attic series was her most well known series. She was born in Flint, MI, and served in World War II. She belonged to the Free Methodist Church.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I unknowingly came into this children's series right in the middle, but I came in at a good time as Mabel and Sarah Jane are experiencing a turning point in their lives as they mature into young ladies. They are starting the new school year in town and away from the farm, with all the challenges and adventures that await in these fun and formative years.

I had never read or even heard of this series before, which surprises me for the fact that I consider this to be a classic, appealing, girl-favorite read. There's a charm to the girls and even though the time period is 1889-1890, their thoughts, feelings, and actions are very relatable. Their cheerful disposition, and faith in and reliance on God guides their conduct as they come up against unexpected and testing situations.

A clean, pleasing read with worthy moral lessons for young readers, and soft, graceful reminders for older readers who know that doing the right thing isn't always easy, and we're all always a work in progress.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of delightful stories that you can learn by!

Mabel is sixteen and off to school in the city! She and Sarah Jane go together, board at an aunt’s home and have all kinds of adventures their first year away. You’ll learn lessons on pride, vanity, forgiveness, diplomacy and more.

Don’t miss this series. An oldie but a goodie!

Cleanliness: any bad behavior is used as a lesson to learn from. “Goodness” and “for goodness sakes” are used. Boys and girls often partner up and attend events together. Although the term "boyfriend" is used, there is nothing mushy - comes across as friendship. Mentions bloomers.

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[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. The first "older Mabel" book. It's not quite as well written as the kid books, because instead of being episodic stories it tries to be a novel spread over a couple years, but it's definitely still worth reading. I specifically appreciate the lessons on life and faith, which are pretty relevant despite your age. I also enjoy all the school information. And as always I enjoy spending time with Mabel, Sarah Jane, and their friends + community.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Such a fun reread!
Oh the delight of Mabel and Sarah Jane growing up! They go away to school and it was such fun to watch them figure things out on their own. There are some good lessons about doing good to others even if they aren't being nice, and of doing your best not to be best, but for the sake of doing it.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet book full of good lessons for young and old people alike. It has lots of good fun and a nice picture of times gone by. I liked that it was both thoughtful and thought-provoking at times. I remembered these books were delightful, but I'd forgotten just how much so. :-)

[Amy Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these stories. The girls are 16 in this story and away from home. :) I still remember certain moments from when I read this as a child. This book reminds me more of Anne of Green Gables with how smart the main character is, as well as the funny escapades they have. I like the emphasis on Christian character and forgiveness.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mabel and Sarah Jane are staying with relatives while attending a prestigious high school in the city. Their parents think that at the responsible age of sixteen the two girls should be able to stay out of trouble, but no matter how hard they try to be sensible, trouble seems to find them anyway.

Mabel wears herself out studying and trying to beat Warren for the top grades in their class, until a brutal accident teaches her what really matters in life. Sarah Jane teases Mabel into asking the most popular and handsome boy in school to a social, even though they've never met! Clarice, the snobbiest girl in school, plots to embarrass Mabel in front of her friends, and Mabel has a hard time forgiving her new enemy.

I loved the sweet plot and the old-fashioned writing style! Mabel and Sarah Jane are so hilarious and adorable, and I was really entertained with all their mischief. The characters are interesting, but not very complex. The stories are simple and the characters are straightforward, perfect for a children's book.

I also enjoyed the small references to Scripture that are hidden in the dialogue. Mabel and her friends talk about loving your neighbor, praying to God, and forgiving your enemies. It never feels preachy and adds depth and meaning to the story.

[Yibbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a rare series that holds its own through five books. But this one manages. So let's just say that I can't recommend them all highly enough.
This one is a quick glimpse into Mable and Sarah Jane's high school days. It is also the book that starts transitioning from a simple collection of short stories into a more cohesive narrative. Each chapter still has a fun adventure or mishap, but there is also an overarching storyline developing. Each chapter has its own beautifully applied Biblical lesson, but so does the whole book. The larger lesson here is learning to Biblically deal with bullies, gossips, and rivalries.
It was a delightful read. Enjoy.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in the Grandma's Attic series and is a departure from her previous books. The storytelling aspect that was going in the fourth book is gone in this and replaced with a diary-entry-driven narrative. I don't think that this is a problem for the appeal although some of the anecdotes have some conjecture to them.

This is an amazingly sweet and simple book series. I can't wait to read them with my children. I have the feeling my daughter has more than a touch of "Mabel" in her! I would recommend them as read-alouds starting at 4 or 5, and independent readers could easily start about 7 or so.

A note: This book was originally published as "Sixteen and Away From Home." I have the original printing from 1985. It has only had two printings and can be hard to find. The first 4 have recently been released as a box set.

[Tirzah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is considered the 5th book in the beloved Grandma's Attic series, but I like to think of it as a "second" series about Mabel and Sarah Jane all grown up(well, not quite grown up...in the process of growing up!). Unlike the first four, Mabel is not telling stories to her granddaughter; rather, it is just her telling the story in first person. The girls go away to college where they soon find out the world's a whole lot bigger place than the farm with a variety of people. The writing remains as witty and endearing as the first four books and Mable and Sarah Jane's true friendship does not cease to make me smile.

This is probably a hard series to find; however, it is an excellent coming-of-age series for young girls.

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of the Grandma's Attic Series and Novels. They are all amazing. The Novels I have read as a whole 6 times and love them more each time. They may be on the light side as far as the amount of pages go, but they are well worth the read no matter your age!

[Rai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I just love. I haven't read it in probably more then a dozen years... it's a light read, geared towards a much younger audience, but I can't help but enjoy it. It's just so honest. A little heavy handed on the Christianity, but I don't mind.

[Katie de Castro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review I wrote after I read this book: Very good book. Definitely a re-read.

[Sarah Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have also read in the series, "18 and On Her Own.", "19 And Wedding Bells Ahead", "At Home in North Branch", "New Faces New Friends", "Stories from the Growing Years" etc...

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it has lost a little of the "story telling" feeling of the books earlier in the series, you'll love finding out more about Mabel!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another of my favorites!

[Nieca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes you just need a book that gave you a smile as a child... this was one for me. Re-reading it as an adult, I still enjoyed it, though I just sailed through it, it was so easy.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Mom read these books to me and my siblings one year. They are the best!

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good can't wait to read the others!

[C.G.Koens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read for me, but first time read aloud to my girls. It took me right back to my childhood and reminded me of all the times I read these books and how much I enjoyed the friendship between Mabel and Sarah Jane. As it turns out, these stories transcend time and culture because my Latin-born daughters loved this story and begged me to read one more chapter!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember really liking this book when I was younger. It’s still an amusing and interesting story about growing up in a different time. I am noticing that in each of these books of the series, there are some very strong parallels to scenes from the Anne of Green Gables series. No clue what to make of that, but it’s a pretty clear similarity.

[Emma McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. It transported me to a different time. Only 1 thing that cunfuzed me, it was written and it said it was in the 1980's but the book did not describe the 80's, more like 1890's or 1910's. Other then that really good book.

[Shelaine Lorenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel! It had great life lessons and the characters were fun and relatable. A great balance of humor and Christian life lessons. Also loved the historical aspect of it.

Trait: Ideas
Lex: couldn't find
ATOS: couldn't find

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading about the adventures of Mabel and her friend Sarah Jane. The girls are sixteen and are boarding at an aunt’s home while they go to school. The girls face challenges and adventures in that first year and learn lessons about pride, vanity, forgiveness, and diplomacy.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing style changes from a grandmother sharing stories with her granddaughter to a more traditional narrative style. As an adult, I enjoy this more, and it still makes me chuckle. Less moralistic telling and more simply showing.

[Dakota Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love these books, every time I need a simple light read I reread this series.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read to daughter. Great series. But we will move to different books now that Mabel is getting a little too old to relate to.

[Alyssa Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am bias because this series is actually written about one of my family members. I can’t wait for the rest of the series as my grandpa was buying me them piece by piece.

[Jacinta Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Same, fun innocence as the rest of the series - great childhood reread

[dazzledbyink]

Very cozy for fall