Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to search

Children's Fiction Post-confederation (1867-)

Lizzie's Storm

by (author) Sally Fitz-Gibbon

illustrated by Muriel Wood

Publisher
Fitzhenry and Whiteside
Initial publish date
Mar 2004
Category
Post-Confederation (1867-), General, Emigration & Immigration
Recommended Age
8 to 11
Recommended Grade
3 to 6
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781550417951
    Publish Date
    Mar 2004
    List Price
    $7.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

When an accident leaves her orphaned, Lizzie's life in the bustling city of London is over forever. And nothing she has ever experienced could prepare the young English girl for her new home a whole continent away on a dusty prairie farm. Although her aunt, uncle and cousins try to be kind, Lizzie can't help but resent her new place as an unimportant member of a family struggling to make do. No one has any time to make a fuss over her. And even though Lizzie is obviously unsuited to manual labor, she is still expected to do chores on the farm. Bitter and despondent, Lizzie knows that she will never - ever - fit in.

But one day a dust storm blows up unexpectedly. Alone in the house, Lizzie knows her aunt is out there, somewhere in the storm. Despite her own overwhelming fear, she knows what she must do. Set on the prairies during the Great Depression, Lizzie's Storm will enthrall any young reader ready for chapter books.

About the authors

Sally Fitz-Gibbon is a former special education teacher and the author of On Uncle John's Farm, Pig in the Middle,The Patchwork House and Two Shoes, Blue Shoes, New Shoes. She lives with her husband on Bowen Island, British Columbia.

Sally Fitz-Gibbon's profile page

Muriel Wood's illustrations have appeared in a number of children's books, including Old Bird, L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, and Margaret Laurence's The Olden Day's Coat. She has also illustrated the three previous titles in the New Beginnings series, Scared Sarah, Lizzie's Storm, and Aram's Choice. A former instructor at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Muriel now draws and paints fulltime. She lives with her husband and two cats in Toronto, Ontario.

Muriel Wood's profile page

Editorial Reviews

"Author Fitz-Gibbon and illustrator Wood deliver a fine story...There's a helpful glossary at book's end along with suggested readings relating to the Dust Bowl and Dirty Thirties. For readers looking for a fabulous, gripping read, or for kids seeking resources for a project, Lizzie's Storm won't disappoint."
- The Hamilton Spectator

"Readers see [Lizzie's internal struggles as she faces unfamiliar chores and expectations within this new family, and descriptive language allows them to visualize the events. Excitement and anticipation build when her aunt is injured in a blinding dust storm and it is up to Lizzie to rescue her. Frequent illustrations, many full page, add clarification to the mood and action in the text. Soft, muted colors suggest Lizzie's loneliness and desolate feeling as she tries to adapt to her new surroundings."
- School Library Journal

"...this illustrated story provides young readers with an accessible picture of prairie life in both Canada and the US in the 1930s - both the hardships and the less frequent joys ..."
- Children's Book News

 

Other titles by

Other titles by