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Editorial Review:
Another first for The Historical Fiction Company, this heartwarming children's historical fiction book wraps around your heart with a great lesson for children and beautifully designed illustrations which will draw in any reader whether young or old.
The lesson? We've all done something that others have misunderstood and assumed about us before we've even had the chance to explain, and for kids that is often the case as parents make assumptions about their kids before allowing them to explain themselves.
The Banana Farm is a touching story about a grandfather telling his grandson about where the name of the farm came from since, after all, they've never raised bananas on the farm. During the time of the Great Depression, when so many families lost their income and almost lost their homesteads, young children were forced to find ways to help support their families. The grandfather tells his grandson about his own experience in this way and how he found a coin in the dirt and used it to buy a bunch of bananas instead of giving the coin to his mother for whatever she might have needed for the house. When she finds out what he has done, well, he gets in real trouble... until the moment he takes a deep breath and tells his mother and father the reason behind his buying the bunches of bananas. Not only does the boy learn a lesson about telling the truth, but so does his mother and father... one about not assuming the worst about someone before knowing all the facts.
In a sweet way, the author and the illustrator show in a clever and simple way lessons easy to understand for any child under ten, and using the historical aspects of the storyline in a way to introduce even young children to the vast adventures awaiting them in historical fiction. Without a doubt, this short book which takes into consideration a child's attention span, is a must-buy for a child's library full of compassion, love for family, and sacrifice for the greater good, even in the midst of unimaginable hardship.
*****
“The Banana Farm” by David Lane and illustrated by Caleb McBee received 4.5 stars from The Historical Fiction Company