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Cora Frear

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FIRE!
Cora loves riding through the wild prairie with her doctor father on his house calls. One day, they have a bigger adventure than they bargained for. Prairie Fire! Their old horses will never outrun the flames that are galloping right toward them!
What will Cora and Papa do to save their lives?
*
Cora Frear was a real pioneer girl, growing up on the prairie at the end of the nineteenth century. Her true story is as exciting as any novel. And it is only the first adventure in the Brave Kids series. Coming next: the story of Robert Henry Hendershot, Civil War drummer boy.

64 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2002

1 person is currently reading
164 people want to read

About the author

Susan E. Goodman

127 books32 followers
Susan E. Goodman is the author of more than thirty nonfiction books for children, including How Do You Burp in Space?; See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race to the White House;All in Just One Cookie, an ALA Notable Book; and On This Spot, a Washington Post Top Picture Book of the Year. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

from https://us.macmillan.com/author/susan...

see also http://www.carolhurst.com/authors/sgo...

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5 stars
53 (34%)
4 stars
62 (40%)
3 stars
31 (20%)
2 stars
5 (3%)
1 star
2 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Shofam.
187 reviews6 followers
May 27, 2025
My son (7) enjoyed the book but says he took off a star because of the fire (which was scary) and because he didn’t like when the match wouldn’t light.

“This is a book about a girl named Cora. Her father is a doctor. One day, a family calls about their baby being very sick. On the way there, Cora and her father face many adventures including a prairie fire. This part was scary, but they made it through the fire and got to the house where the baby lived. They helped him feel better. Cora lived from 1887 to 1985.”

Carolyn, age 8
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Stephanie Sheaffer.
466 reviews2 followers
February 19, 2021
"Cora Frear" is a short historical fiction paperback geared to ages 6-10 (approximate reading level: 3rd-4th grade).

Based on a true story, the slim novel details the account of a young girl and her father who get stuck in the middle of a prairie fire. Set in Iowa in the 1800s, the story is believable and has interesting elements. That being said, it is too short to have strong character development or a well-developed plot.
Profile Image for Jacklyn (ReadingBliss).
312 reviews30 followers
January 15, 2024
What a great story about the time. It really filled my head with images of the past, despite in being more shallow for young readers to understand. It had great voice and presence to capture it’s audience in it’s few pages (about 55). I plan to have my children read it as they learn about pioneers and like in the prairie.

Perfect for classrooms and families.
Profile Image for Lisa.
1,695 reviews17 followers
June 24, 2020
Quick read after my 7 yr old didn't find it interesting enough to read. I can see why she wouldn't want to read about the fire, it could definitely be a scary storyline even if it is trying to point out bravery in spite of fear.
116 reviews3 followers
September 30, 2020
We used as a read aloud. Fire aspect was a little intense if you have a sensitive reader, but I felt the author conveyed the reality of the situation well without dramatizing and hyping it up. Lovely pencil sketch type illustrations.
Profile Image for Jamey.
301 reviews2 followers
August 28, 2024
Although a short book, Cora Frear is an interesting and page turning true story of a girl and her father who got caught in a prairie fire. It is a quick look into American history that kids and parents will enjoy.
Profile Image for Anna.
766 reviews158 followers
December 10, 2019
Cute. Good for young readers. I gave it to my little sister to try so I hope she'll read it.
The fire part might be scary for some kids.
Profile Image for Jill.
147 reviews
July 18, 2020
Well-written short, little story. Part of my 7-year-old’s Bookshark history curriculum, so I pre-read it.
251 reviews6 followers
November 28, 2020
Cora goes with her father on a doctor's visit in his horse and buggy when they get caught in a prairie fire.

Great book for beginning readers - classroom library 1st through 3rd grade.
Profile Image for Sara.
48 reviews
June 25, 2021
My girls 10 & 12 both gave this 5 stars as a read aloud. Very interesting story!
Profile Image for Jamie Erin.
248 reviews6 followers
July 11, 2021
Read for my son's 3rd-grade homeschool curriculum.
Profile Image for Moch Ansori.
100 reviews
January 8, 2024
Good book, but thare are many english words that I think they're hard to be understand by children.
Profile Image for The Jesus Fandom.
492 reviews33 followers
April 7, 2025
The situation in this book is actually so scary. Very impressive story because of that.
883 reviews11 followers
March 20, 2015
gr 2-4 43pgs


1897, Iowa. 10 year old Cora "Carrie" Frear wants to be just like her father Doc Frear when she grows up. She loves making house calls with her father. On one trip, she and her father are stuck in the middle of a prairie fire. With no place to hide, Doc Frear and Cora find a way to protect themselves from the fire.

Good story. Based on a true story.
55 reviews1 follower
August 23, 2012
Although this is a very short story, it is very well written. The author does a great job describing a girl who has to put her fear aside in order to help her father in a prairie fire.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
410 reviews
September 8, 2013
My children loved this story. We went to the library to find more books like it. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
926 reviews11 followers
April 6, 2024
A based on true life adventure of a girl and her father who are caught in a prairie fire and what they do to survive it. A nice adventure for early readers to enjoy.
332 reviews5 followers
December 15, 2016
Another school time book. Titus really liked this one. It was a simple but nice story of bravery.
329 reviews
December 31, 2022
I really enjoyed this. I’m excited to hear what my boys think about it.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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