The Poet in the Fields: A Review of Wildflower Emily

 

Do you love Emily Dickinson? Perhaps you are looking for ways to share her quiet poems with your students or children, but you weren’t sure where the winding path into her world began.

For many of us, our first introduction to a classic is a bit formal. I received a hardbound book of hers as a teen, but it remained closed for many years on my shelf while I chased the more exciting Romantic poets, like Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It wasn't until I sat down for poetry tea with my sons that I realized Emily’s simplicity is her greatest gift. Her poems are nature-heavy, brief, and full of the 'kindred spirit' energy we look for in our homeschool days.

If you are looking for a gentle 'front porch' to introduce her to your family, I’ve found a new treasure: Wildflower Emily by Lydia Corry.

Summary

Wildflower Emily: A Story about Young Emily Dickinson by Lydia Corry is a delightful slice of Emily’s young life. As a young girl, she loved to explore in the fields and woods. Her parents were worried about her safety, so they gave her a dog, her beloved Carlo (named after a dog in Jane Eyre, her favorite book). With whimsical illustrations and sparse tense, Corry shows us a day in Emily’s life with her dear dog. 

 

Why This Story Stays With Me:

1.    Beautiful illustrations! Wildflower Emily is Corry’s first graphic novel, but she has illustrated many others, including The Corgi and the Queen by Caroline L. Perry. If you love watercolor and more vintage illustrations, you will love this. And I think Emily would as well!

 

2.    An insight into a poet’s inspiration. Reading how much Emily loved exploring nature and learning about botany brings a new understanding of why her descriptions of nature are so exquisite. 

3.    Emily’s relationship with her dog. It was precious reading about Emily’s relationship with Carlo, who was her trusty companion. Animals can be kindred spirits, too.

4.    Afterword with facts about Emily’s life and a recipe. This book would make a wonderful starting point for a unit study about Emily. It would be fun to make gingerbread and deliver it to neighbors in a basket, just as she did. Or to do a little nature study, keeping a journal of insects and flowers.

5.    Emily’s poems are interspersed throughout the text. As you are reading and learning about Emily’s real-life explorations, you encounter her poems. What a lovely way to see direct inspiration for her poems. 

Reading Guide: This book would appeal to 7-10-year-olds as a Morning Time read-aloud and independent readers at the 3rd-4th  grade reading level and above. The book is 112 pages.

  

Max’s take (out of a 5 bone scale)

Max when he found out Emily wrote about a dog!

 🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴

I loved meeting Carlo! He likes to explore nature and go on adventures, just like me. And Emily wrote a poem about a dog, too!

Editor's note: Max is talking about "I Started Early--Took My Dog 656," which you can read at the Poetry Foundation.

 

 

Notes from the Front Porch:

Do you have a favorite poet who feels like a kindred spirit to you or your family? 

Or perhaps there is a story about an author's life—like this one about Emily and Carlo—that has made their work come alive for you or your children lately?
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out other fabulous middle grades at Always in the Middle!

 

  

If you love Anne and tender, heart-filled stories, you’re always welcome here. Never miss out on future posts by following this blog.

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. It is no cost to you. Thank you for your support!

MMGM: Finding Kindred Spirits in the San: A Review of Light and Air

 

Are you looking for a book to tuck into your book basket for a study of the 1930s? Or perhaps you have a child who’s fascinated by medicine or medical history—but you’re hoping for a story that feels gentle and hope-filled, without lingering in the heaviness of illness.

Today I’m featuring Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell. At first, although I heard wonderful reviews of this book, I was a little afraid to take it on. I am a sensitive reader, and I was afraid a book about tuberculosis might be depressing. But when Dr. Kate Scarth, Chair of LM Montgomery Studies at UPEI, mentioned that there were references to Anne in this book, I knew I had to dive right in.

Summary: 

When Halle (short for Hallelujah)’s mama is sent to J.N. Adam Tuberculosis Hospital for a rest cure, Halle is shunned by her classmates. Children are not allowed to visit patients, but she’s determined to find a way to see her mama, convinced that she can help her get better. Her attempt to run away to the hospital causes her to get sick and be admitted herself. But despite sickness, rules, and her father’s disapproval, Halle’s determined to help her mama get well. 

This is a story of courage in small places, and of the quiet ways love endures, even in uncertain seasons. 

Why this story stays with me

1.    Real relationships between parents and children. Halle’s relationship with her mother is deep and profound. She is such a comfort to Halle. But even though her relationship with her father is strained, he is never portrayed as an ogre, but as someone carrying his own sorrow. I loved how family was so central to this novel, not just for Halle, but for the children she meets at the “San.”

2.    An insight into the tuberculosis in the 1930s. There are a lot of books about the Great Depression, but this is the first time I’ve read a middle-grade book about tuberculosis and what it was like living in a sanatorium. It made my heart glad to see that spending time outside was emphasized. Despite our advances in medicine, fresh air is still important for good health. It offers a living glimpse into a chapter of history that often goes unmentioned and would make a wonderful addition to any study of that era.

3.    Friendships! Halle had many dear friends. Thelma was like her Diana, a bosom friend from childhood. I also loved Flossie, the patient she meets later. Flossie is black, but the hospital admitted all people regardless of race. And this was dealt with in a sensitive and realistic way. 

4.    Faith was an integral part of Halle’s family life. It was refreshing to see that Halle prayed and that she found comfort in things her mother taught and lines from old hymns. To me, this gave the novel depth and hope despite its hard themes of sickness.

5.    Nods to classic novels and a writing style like them. Halle loves to read, and it was great fun seeing some of my favorites like the Anne of Green Gables series, Little Princess, and Royal Velvet mentioned. This was keeping with the time period and gave the book a vintage feel. Due to Wendell’s beautiful writing style, I felt like I was reading how Montgomery would’ve written about these kindred spirit friendships in a hospital setting.

Reading Guide: This book would appeal to 8-12 year olds as a Morning Time read-aloud and independent readers at the 4th-5th grade reading level and above. A gentle note for parents and teachers: this story touches on the realities of serious illness, including loss, handled with great tenderness and hope.

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. Mindy Nichols Wendell’s second novel, California or Dust, is set in 1939 and follows a girl relocating with her family to California during the Dust Bowl. It releases on August 25, 2026, and sounds like another thoughtful, heart-filled story from the Great Depression era.

Max’s take (out of a 5 bone scale)

Max, the Reading Dog 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴

No dogs again! Ugh! But the book was short, and I liked that they had school outside. My kind of place!  

 

 

Notes from the Front Porch

 

What books set in the 1930s have you and your family enjoyed?
If you love Anne and tender, heart-filled stories, you’re always welcome here.

Check out other fabulous middle grades at Always in the Middle!  

 

 

If you love Anne and tender, heart-filled stories, you’re always welcome here. Never miss out on future posts by following this blog.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It is no cost to you. Thank you for your support!

ISWG: When a Story Feels Like a Hug: Lessons from the Winding Path of Writing

 

When I started writing my current book, I was focused on one thing: creating the kind of story I loved as a child and that my friends were longing to find for their own families. I wanted a world where homeschooling wasn’t a problem to be solved, but a natural way of life—a place where laughter truly is the best medicine. Most of all, this story is a love letter to my favorite book, Anne of Green Gables, and to my sons' beautiful childhood, which I am so grateful to have had a front-row seat to.
 

As I sent the manuscript off to beta readers, I wondered: would my joy (and my sense of humor) land? Would readers relate to my spunky, Anne-hearted main character? Most of all, I hoped my friends who love a comfort read would feel like the story was one big hug. I wanted to create something that fellow homeschool parents would not only feel safe with but would be excited to pass along to their children. After getting some early feedback from beta readers, I was so relieved to find that the heart of the story arrived safely.

 

If you don’t already know, I am a member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, a wonderful community of authors who share monthly about the winding paths of the creative life. It’s a place to be earnest about our hurdles and celebrate our small victories together.

This month’s question: What was the most inspiring feedback you received from readers, including agents, editors, and beta readers?

 A few quotes that have encouraged me to keep going (and finish these endless edits):

a few of my favorite books

 Is my story too old-fashioned? 

"As a big fan of Anne of Green Gables... I was ten years old again, immersed in Anne's world."

–CW, Middle Grade Author

I was worried that no one read Anne anymore (as I was told numerous times) or that my story was too quaint. And I definitely worried I could not do Montgomery justice. When CW mentioned the classics, it reminded me why these stories matter so much and why many of us give our kids a taste of them early. It’s about building memories and being part of a long conversation.

a breed of rabbit similar to those in my novel

 Were my characters too niche?

 "Josephine. 100% Josephine... she has a really, really, really, exasperating food allergy. I have never read a book with a character with food allergies like that. Also, Josephine is a HUGE rabbit fan. I love rabbits."

–Lizzy B, Homeschool Graduate, Reviewer, and Up-and-coming Authoress

 

Sometimes, as writers, we worry that our characters are too small or too specific, or that no one will relate to them. But it’s in being so specific (and often writing from our own experience) that we create a character that makes a reader feel seen. As readers, we’re always looking for a story where we can latch on to a character like a long-lost friend. “Oh, you too?” That’s the wonderful part of reading—getting that inner glimpse of someone else’s life.

books, paints, and tea, what else do you need?

    Will readers even like the story? 

"It's a really great story, and I'm looking forward to recommending it to friends when you're done!"

–TR, homeschool mom

There’s the muddy middle of a rough draft, but there’s also the muddy middle of editing and finishing a book. It’s so easy to lose heart—to feel like we won’t ever finish and no one will ever read the story anyway.
 

But this quote inspires me to keep going. I have a goal—finishing—so those friends can read it. And as a reader, it reminds me of one of the joys of having this blog: suggesting my favorites, discussing yours, and feeling like we have our own online book club (where we actually talk about books—and not just other things).
 

Whether we are the ones writing the words or the ones tucked under a quilt reading them, we are all looking for the same thing: a story that leaves us feeling happy and a little less alone.

On the Front Porch

    To the readers: What is a book that made you feel "ten years old again"? 

    To the writers: What is the one piece of feedback that kept you going when the path felt long?

   

I'm so grateful to be part of the Insecure Writer's Support Group community. 

 

A special thank you to this month's wonderful co-hosts: 

Jenni Enzor, Jemima Pett, Jamie of Uniquely Maladjusted but Fun, and Kim Lajevardi!

 

You can join us here.

 

If you love gentle, heart-filled stories, come sit a while—I’m writing one, too. 

Never miss out on future posts by following this blog.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It is no cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Photo credits: Front porch from Canva, all other photos by Jenni Enzor, Watercolor of books, paintbrushes, and coffee cup by Jenni Enzor