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Sarah Whitcher's Story
In Sarah Whitcher’s Story by award-winning author Elizabeth Yates, little Sarah follows a tiny bird away from her family’s cabin into the thick New Hampshire forest. When night come, Sarah realizes that she is lost. Settlers come from all across the countryside to help find her, but as the long days pass, the searchers grow desperate. In this historical fiction book only Sarah’s father believes that they will find her alive, and few would have expected a bear to have a part in her rescue.
95 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
12 people are currently reading
792 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Yates
91 books77 followersElizabeth Yates, author of over forty books for children, was born in New York State on December 6th, 1905. Determined to be an author, she moved to New York City to launch her career. She worked a variety of jobs including reviewing book, writing short stories, and doing research. She moved to England with her husband and wrote her first book, High Holiday, based on her travels in Switzerland with her three children. The family returned to the U.S. in 1939 and settled in New Hampshire. Yates won the Newbery Award in 1951 for her book, Amos Fortune, Free Man, a biography of an African prince who is enslaved and taken to America.
Yates conducted writer's workshops at the University of New Hampshire, the University of Connecticut, and Indiana University. She also served as the Director of the New Hampshire Association for the Blind.
Yates was widowed in 1963. Elizabeth Yates died Sunday at a hospice in Concord, New Hampshire on July 29, 2001 at the age of 95.
Elizabeth Yates' books have been described as "the result of extensive research, a strong underlying belief in God, and a vivid imagination."
Yates conducted writer's workshops at the University of New Hampshire, the University of Connecticut, and Indiana University. She also served as the Director of the New Hampshire Association for the Blind.
Yates was widowed in 1963. Elizabeth Yates died Sunday at a hospice in Concord, New Hampshire on July 29, 2001 at the age of 95.
Elizabeth Yates' books have been described as "the result of extensive research, a strong underlying belief in God, and a vivid imagination."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
April 19, 2017
I have read this book many times in my life and each time it is a marvel to me. My understanding is that it truly happened. It is an incredible story of God's protection.
July 6, 2016
Again, this really deserves 4.5 stars. Based on a real incident that makes you remember that truth sometimes is stranger than fiction and that the Lord really does work in mysterious ways. Young Sarah is living in the mountain of New Hampshire with her family (mid to late 1800's) and while her parents leave on a typical Sabbath day walk (which my Grandparents also did) the older kids are left in charge. In a bit of miscommunication little Sarah wanders off but her siblings think she has gone with her parents. A storm comes and that is when Sarah is now known to be missing. What ensues is a great search for a little girl and the view of both sides of the story are fascinating. Faith, obedience, trust, hard work are all found in this short tale.
It is recommended for 7-9 year olds. I read it one evening and then gave it to my seven year old the next morning. She gobbled it up and loved the story!
It is recommended for 7-9 year olds. I read it one evening and then gave it to my seven year old the next morning. She gobbled it up and loved the story!
August 21, 2018
The story of Satah Whitcher, previously recorded in, "the History of Warren New Hampshire, " published in 1870, tells the story of a young pioneer girl who is lost in the woods for several days and kept safe by a bear, and the miraculous way in which she was eventually found. Any fan of the Little House on the Prairie series would a absolutely love this book, though at 83 pages, it is a much quicker and easier read. I wish I knew about this book when my children were young.
December 30, 2018
Elizabeth Yates's writing is always infused with a warm, comforting wisdom, and this book is no exception. A wonderful tale of a family's trust in God in the face of dark despair, Sarah Whitcher's Story is a true story written with the subtle beauty that is Elizabeth Yates's trademark. Whoever you might be, I recommend this book to you.
March 8, 2017
This was a family read aloud on a road trip and we are currently studying this era in history. We all thoroughly enjoyed the book - particularly the reminder that God is bigger than any problem we may have - and that He has the entire universe (from critters to even dreams) at His disposal for our aid.
April 6, 2015
Excellent and uplifting book!
June 12, 2018
This was a read aloud with my boys, and was a sweet story.
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March 27, 2015I thought this book was a very good book and an easy reads.This fiction book was wrote by Elizabeth Yates and the name of the book is Sarah Whitcher's Story.This book is about a big family that lives out in the woods and they do things like in the old times and they are a Christian family.One day Pa and Ma went to walk to the summit,so the older children was left in charge until Pa and Ma got back.So therefore every child had a chore for the day,but a little girl named Sarah didn't have any thing to do.So she decided to wonder off in to the woods for a little while and then she would just be back home soon and with out tell anyone she headed off on her journey.She was haing a lot of fun acting like she was Ma and Pa,trying to cut down trees and pick strawberries. Soon it got dark,she had wondered so far that she could not find her way back home.So she decided to just find her a place to sleep and then in the morning she would find her way back home.She had found her a shelter under a big rock that looked like a cabin.She knew Pa would come for her soon,She then saw a dark shape moving among the trees and she thought it was Ollie,her dog from home.She was so happy to see him,but it didn't really look like Ollie,it was a lot bigger.The animal she meet now was sleeping beside her and was Being like a mother to her.While Pa and a lot more other men from near and far away places had heard that there was a little girl missing all helped to come find her. They had searched for many days and hope was getting little and by then Sarah was getting very hungry .The animal turned out not to be Ollie, it was a female bear.When a young man had a dream about Sarah,he walked for miles to tell the family about his dream and that he knew where Sarah was.But at first the women did not believe the young man.But the young man was not from this place and didn't know the mountains very well,so he had to get one of the searching men to lead him to the place Sarah was.When they got there they could not believe there eyes Sarah was laying there asleep.So they carried her back home and her family was very happy to see her.Pa keep on praying that Sarah would be found and he never gave up faith and Sarah was found.I believe the author achieved his purpose very well in the book.I didn't find any weaknesses ,but I found a lot of strengths.My favorite quote is when papa says "Trust in The Lord he will help us find Sarah".I would recommend this book to a lot of people.
December 15, 2009
Sarah Whitcher's Story by Elizabeth Yates is a short chapter book based on an actual incident where a 3 year old child wandered away from the family homestead and was cared for by a bear until she was found a number of days later.
The crux of the story is that young Sarah stays alive because she isn't frightened. It's not that she's an especially brave three-year-old. Rather, she mistakes the sow bear for the family dog.
I find that explanation had to swallow for a normal, healthy girl her age, especially one growing up in such close proximity to nature. I did a test with my own three year old who has seen both bears and dogs. I showed her a photograph of a bear and a photograph of a dog (the same breeds illustrated in the novel). I asked her to name the animals. She got them right instantly.
Sarah Whitcher isn't the first child reported to have been helped by a wild animal mother but she's much older than the ones who end up "feral" and her time with the bear is much shorter than the ones who do end up growing up in the care of the wild animal. It would have been much more interesting and dramatic if Sarah of the novel had been aware that she was with a bear and perhaps felt like she had to pretend the bear was no scarier than the family dog, rather than just blindly mistaking the bear for the dog!
My thoughts and complaints are with the book, not with the real child who spent a few days and nights with a bear. I don't know what she thought or experienced, obviously.
The book though does have lovely illustrations. Fans of the Little House series will probably enjoy Sarah Whitcher's Story.
The crux of the story is that young Sarah stays alive because she isn't frightened. It's not that she's an especially brave three-year-old. Rather, she mistakes the sow bear for the family dog.
I find that explanation had to swallow for a normal, healthy girl her age, especially one growing up in such close proximity to nature. I did a test with my own three year old who has seen both bears and dogs. I showed her a photograph of a bear and a photograph of a dog (the same breeds illustrated in the novel). I asked her to name the animals. She got them right instantly.
Sarah Whitcher isn't the first child reported to have been helped by a wild animal mother but she's much older than the ones who end up "feral" and her time with the bear is much shorter than the ones who do end up growing up in the care of the wild animal. It would have been much more interesting and dramatic if Sarah of the novel had been aware that she was with a bear and perhaps felt like she had to pretend the bear was no scarier than the family dog, rather than just blindly mistaking the bear for the dog!
My thoughts and complaints are with the book, not with the real child who spent a few days and nights with a bear. I don't know what she thought or experienced, obviously.
The book though does have lovely illustrations. Fans of the Little House series will probably enjoy Sarah Whitcher's Story.
April 21, 2022
This is another beautifully told story that is deceptive in its simplicity. As usual, I was the only one weeping while I finished the last chapter. My kids looked up at me with confused and benevolent concern.
A little girl is lost in the woods and the tale tells how she survives and is found. I think greater skill is required to tell a simple tale excellently than a complex tale excellently. It requires restraint and laser focus. I hope to read more Yates to the kids through the years.
A little girl is lost in the woods and the tale tells how she survives and is found. I think greater skill is required to tell a simple tale excellently than a complex tale excellently. It requires restraint and laser focus. I hope to read more Yates to the kids through the years.
January 11, 2018
Elizabeth Yates is a wonderful story teller and this book is a wonderful example of that! I read this to my son Camden, who is 8. We are studying early American history and the early pioneers.
Sarah is a 4 year old girl who wonders off to the woods to play after her parents go off to visit an aunt and uncle. She was left in the care of her older siblings who didn’t realize she had wondered off. Sarah soon becomes lost and does not make it home that night. This story is a story of hope, unending love, the power of God, the caring sacrifice of pioneer neighbors who come out to help search and one of miracles! A beautiful story and one every child should hear!
Sarah is a 4 year old girl who wonders off to the woods to play after her parents go off to visit an aunt and uncle. She was left in the care of her older siblings who didn’t realize she had wondered off. Sarah soon becomes lost and does not make it home that night. This story is a story of hope, unending love, the power of God, the caring sacrifice of pioneer neighbors who come out to help search and one of miracles! A beautiful story and one every child should hear!
August 5, 2015
This is an incredible story. A little girl gets lost in old New England, while wandering through the woods. She ends up being protected by a bear, and treated as a cub, all the while she is an hour walk from her house--with dozens of people scouring the woods looking for her. And the ending is even more remarkable. And to top that, it is a true story--with God getting all the glory.
This is a must read book with your kids. They'll love it, and you'll scarcely believe such a thing possible.
This is a must read book with your kids. They'll love it, and you'll scarcely believe such a thing possible.
November 14, 2019
A recommended read-aloud for our MFW curriculum. While the story was interesting (I mean, it’s based on a true story of a little girl who survived four days in the wilderness because a female bear “cubbed” her) but the story was a little long for my younger ones...at least the daily reading felt longer than other books we’ve enjoyed together. But overall, a interesting peek into history during the early days of U.S. settlement.
July 5, 2016
There is strong evidence that this story, as Ms. Yates has offered it, is the truth. What a tale! A tale of courage and faith and confidence with a dash of the miraculous. This is a story that should be shared with as many young people as possible as we move ever further away from our connection with nature and the outdoors.
December 17, 2011
A true classic. What a story. You and your children will always remember this one. The text we had was also accompanied by beautiful, delicate drawings. They say this is a true story, which adds to the fascination of it!
January 22, 2010
Inspiring story of faith for children and parents.
January 22, 2010
Cute book, my kids enjoyed this. Whether it is true or not it is a good example of God's care for us in unexpected ways.
February 21, 2011
The girls loved this read-aloud!
March 16, 2019
Fun story and read aloud. My boys loved that it's based loosely on a true story.
January 18, 2019
What a story of faith and providential protection! Excellent! True story.
August 30, 2019
The girls loved this story! Amazing that it's based on a true story. A wonderful story of trusting in the Lord in times of trouble.
February 1, 2024
Read this as a read aloud for school.
It was so good. Had me tearing up at the end when little Sarah is found.
Learning that it is also based on a true story just meant that much more.
It was so good. Had me tearing up at the end when little Sarah is found.
Learning that it is also based on a true story just meant that much more.
October 7, 2022
I love how this book tells a true story of a little who really got lost in the woods of New Hampshire and was amazing taken care of by a bear! We have read it twice now and my kids still love the miracle and mystery of the story. I personally like how one man had such faith in a dream that he walked for thirty miles to go and find little Sarah.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 14, 2010Little Sarah Whitcher, left in the charge of her older siblings while her parents leave their New Hampshire cabin for the day, wanders away and is lost in the woods. By the time her disappearance is discovered, it is dark, but in the morning the community rallies around the family to search for the lost child. They search until sunset, but are disappointed to find no Sarah. The search continues for another day, and another, though everyone but Sarah's parents has lost hope of her survival. Meanwhile, Sarah has found the company of a large animal whom she takes to be Ollie, the family dog. "Ollie" takes care of her, though he smells and acts strangely. On the third day after her disappearance, a man appears at the cabin, claiming to have had a dream showing where Sarah is. He leads the searchers to where she is found -- smelling of bear.
Throughout the story this hardworking pioneer family holds together in their trust that God will take care of Sarah. The father, especially, sets an example of faith in the most discouraging of circumstances. The deep love the parents express toward their children, and the joy with which Sarah is welcomed home, strike a sharp contrast between her vulnerable solitude and the secure place she holds within her family. The book ends with an author's note explaining that this story has some historical support, and descendants of Sarah Whitcher have repeatedly affirmed that she has told the story the way they heard it from their relatives.
Although the tale ends happily, it is a "scarer," and may not be suited to more sensitive listeners. But for those who are able to handle Sarah's real danger, it provides a wonderful, suspenseful adventure, gives a glimpse of early New Hampshire life, and portrays a tight-knit, loving family.
Throughout the story this hardworking pioneer family holds together in their trust that God will take care of Sarah. The father, especially, sets an example of faith in the most discouraging of circumstances. The deep love the parents express toward their children, and the joy with which Sarah is welcomed home, strike a sharp contrast between her vulnerable solitude and the secure place she holds within her family. The book ends with an author's note explaining that this story has some historical support, and descendants of Sarah Whitcher have repeatedly affirmed that she has told the story the way they heard it from their relatives.
Although the tale ends happily, it is a "scarer," and may not be suited to more sensitive listeners. But for those who are able to handle Sarah's real danger, it provides a wonderful, suspenseful adventure, gives a glimpse of early New Hampshire life, and portrays a tight-knit, loving family.
August 14, 2016
Based on the true story, passed down over time, of a young girl who is lost and mistakes a mothering bear for the family dog. The rest of the family searches long for her, relying on their steadfast faith in God to keep their hearts up until they find her.
I loved the message of faith. The father, especially, has a heartwarming trust in God and sense of His presence.
Little Sarah's time with the bear was, for a person with strong motherly instincts, almost a little hard to read! Obviously when a bear treats a human child as it would treat a hardy cub...well, I hated to think of her in such hands!
My main con with the story was the way the parents have very young children(5 years old!) caring for babies only months old and tiny toddlers so that the father and mother can go for a casual Sunday afternoon visit to a neighbor, staying away until dark. Coming from a big family, I can attest that to leave a 5 year old with an infant is unthinkable! Even in those times, I can't imagine any mother doing such a thing. For me, this made the story seem unreal and unbelievable. In colonial times, a 5 year old boy would still be in long clothes; and a 5 year old girl would hardly be expected to care for a tiny baby.
It is, however, clean fiction with a strong storyline if this inconsistency does not bother you.
I loved the message of faith. The father, especially, has a heartwarming trust in God and sense of His presence.
Little Sarah's time with the bear was, for a person with strong motherly instincts, almost a little hard to read! Obviously when a bear treats a human child as it would treat a hardy cub...well, I hated to think of her in such hands!
My main con with the story was the way the parents have very young children(5 years old!) caring for babies only months old and tiny toddlers so that the father and mother can go for a casual Sunday afternoon visit to a neighbor, staying away until dark. Coming from a big family, I can attest that to leave a 5 year old with an infant is unthinkable! Even in those times, I can't imagine any mother doing such a thing. For me, this made the story seem unreal and unbelievable. In colonial times, a 5 year old boy would still be in long clothes; and a 5 year old girl would hardly be expected to care for a tiny baby.
It is, however, clean fiction with a strong storyline if this inconsistency does not bother you.
April 23, 2010
I liked this book, but then I had a problem. I was reading another book about a girl also named Sarah. The courage of Sarah Noble. But I really think some parts I thought were funny. Such as her thinking the bear in the forest she was in was the family dog Ollie. I think that part was funny, but kind of Scary. I thought she could get hurt with that bear. And they have it wrong on the cover. It said she had red hair. But she has blond hair. Oh well.
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September 4, 2017We just finished this as our first read aloud of this year. All the kids were begging for one more chapter so I finished the last three chapters as we sat around the fire pit. Perhaps it's just my life right now, but this story got to me more than when I read it 10 years ago to Nate. It is haunting to think of your child being lost for 4 days in the mountains. Elizabeth Yates does a wonderful job portraying the father's faith that God can be trusted with Sarah.
October 16, 2013
I like this book. It's a cute story and well told. Logically, I had trouble believing that this little girl could mistake a bear for the family dog, but who am I to say! Overall, I enjoyed this story of a dear family with tremendous faith set in the frontier days of New Hampshire. Highly recommend for young readers.
October 26, 2011
Based on a true story about a young girl lost in the New Hampshire woods in early pioneer days. She was so young that things looked bleak. But her family kept believing and kept praying that God would work it out somehow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2012
probably would have given it 3.5 if I could. Another book stella and I read together for history. A folktale about a little girl who gets lost in the woods near her home and her family's search for her. It was a cute story; not very descriptive of the time period, but held our interest.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews