“On Tide Mill Lane,” by Melissa Wiley,  © 2001, is a book that tells earlier stories for the “Little House on the Prairie” series. The daughter in the book is Charlotte Tucker, who eventually moved west and became the grandmother of Laura Ingalls Wilder. The book is advertised for ages 8-12, and it’s in the series called “The Charlotte Years.” Our friend Christine, who grew up near Chicago, remembers her teacher reading Laura Ingalls Wilder books to her class.

The book has general American history and a picture of family life in New England in the early 1800s. The Tuckers live on Tide Mill Lane, which leads them to Roxbury, not that far away. When I looked on a current map, I found that Roxbury is a suburb just to the south of Boston. We do read references to Boston and the British ships in the harbor.

The first chapter gives us an evening of cornhusking in a neighbor’s barn. Adults and children help taking husks off corn at first, and then the host family brings a supper to the barn. After the meal, there’s fiddling, dancing, and games. So many things are introduced in the first 17 pages.  I would enjoy reading “On Tide Mill Lane” aloud to anyone who’d like to listen.

The Tucker family is described right away: Mama and Papa, Lewis age 13, Lydia age 9, Tom age 8, Charlotte age 5, and Mary, age 1-1/2.

If I were teaching the book, I would have a list of questions (and my answers) like these:

When does the story take place and what is important about that year? In the winter of 1814. That’s when peace comes, bringing an end to the War of 1812.

Who is Will? He was a striker in Mr. Tucker’s blacksmith’s shop. He helped build tools. Then he marched with the militia to Maine to take part in the War of 1812, and for many chapters the family hasn’t heard if he is still alive.

What other people are introduced in the first chapter? The Heath family. They are the people who are having the cornhusking in their barn. Do you think we’ll hear about them later?

Describe what was on the homemade table for the supper. Chicken pie, steamed clams, mashed sweet potatoes, pear pie and apple pie.

What did you learn about the War of 1812? People don’t agree on whether or not our country should be at war with the British.

What is a word we learned from another language: bairnie, a Scottish word which means child.

Does your family go to any parties that are similar to the cornhusking party? What are they like?

Which person do you feel most in touch with? It will be fun for you to go along with them in the story.

One day in February the family hears bells ringing in Roxbury. They dress up and go to town and see that everyone’s house has candles in the windows to celebrate the peace treaty.

On Washington’s birthday, there is a big parade in Roxbury as there is each year, but this time they have fireworks. All the trades in town are in the parade, showing everyone their work. . . bakers, bricklayers, blacksmiths, hatmakers, housewrights, printers, tinsmiths. It was called a mechanics parade. Each business was on a wagon pulled by horses. First the people heard the sound of fife and drums.

The book ends with a hurricane. Papa has time to put boards on the windows before going downstairs with his wife and the children. While they are there listening to destructive sounds, Mama tells them all a Scottish fairy story. When they go back to the main floor and check the upstairs bedrooms, there is damage to the house, and they begin to mop up water and decide how to live with these changes until repairs can be made. Thankfully, the family is safe, and the animals are all OK in the barn.

One reason I enjoyed thinking about young people reading the book is that it introduces historical events so they can become interested and want to know more. (I did look up hurricanes in Massachusetts, and there was one in the winter of 1814 that also affected the city of Washington.)

Another good aspect of the book is that readers see a picture of a family where everyone is hardworking. When trouble comes, Mama helps them understand what is happening, what may have caused the problem, and how to come out of it with kindness toward everyone and apologies if necessary.

I need to return the book soon to the Vesta Café where I got it. A friend and I were having lunch there, and we saw shelves of books provided by the Plum Creek Outreach Service. That was a good find for the last month of 2016. Now I’m looking ahead for books to tell you about in 2017.