The Barn That Moved Away is a story about the upside of change and how it can improve a life. In this case, the life of a barn on a farm in northern New England. Told from the barn's point of view, the tale describes how the barn in question moved from a location that no longer needed the traditional services of a barn to one many miles away to begin a new life.
Purchased by the Martha's Vineyard Historical Society, the barn was lovingly dismantled and carefully trucked to it's new home on the island. Once there, an old-time barn raising slowly but surely re-created the building. It's massive main room became the home for Society's events and personal milestone gatherings like weddings. The barn enthusiastically embraced its new home and encouraged all the readers of its story to come visit.
Language
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 7 to 11 years
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 279 mm
Thickness: 6 mm
Weight
ISBN-13
978-1-7357911-1-1 (9781735791111)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Author Marilyn Spooner (1926-2011) spent her entire life in the northern New Hampshire town where the barn also lived. In fact, the barn performed its duties on her husband's family farm. In addition to raising a family of four, she wrote stories and reported on current events for local newspapers and magazines. After she retired from her position as office assistant for H.P. Cummings Construction, she spent over twenty years as the town Librarian. Her favorite part of that job (although she loved most books and loved matching people with books she knew they'd like) was that it allowed her to interact with the children in the community. The story for The Barn That Moved Away simmered in her mind for a while; then she wrote it down. Her friend Barbara Riley liked the tale and created evocative illustrations to accompany the text. In the end, they combined their talents to create an uplifting story that makes readers smile. It's a perfect legacy for a woman who was happiest when making curious readers hungry for the next good book.
