From 1947, one of Lenski's regional" stories, a companion (sort of) to the Newbery book Strawberry Girl.?á Very earnest, almost preachy, esp. at first.?á Pulls no punches about the complexity of the life of different migrants, and the choices that could be made to help them have a more stable life.?á Charles Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie et al) and Judy's father are both restless, and though both are sober and work hard when they can, constantly picking up and moving around, ostensibly to seek greener pastures, keeps their children undernourished and uneducated.?á And it doesn't help to keep the other adult, the mother, pregnant or nursing.?á

Therefore, I don't think this book will help children grow up to want to support the choices of the migrant & field workers that we still have among us.?á It may help them be less cruel than some of the overseers and town children that the Drummonds encounter, though, so that would be a good thing.?á

It's a rich book in that it does teach a lot.?á It takes place in the east, and has a map. The nods to diversity are interesting.?á For the most part, the "Negroes" have it even worse than the Drummonds.?á There are also some other families, Irish, Japanese, etc.?á There are local field workers, ordinary ppl hired just for the season.?á There are successful migrant families.?á There are teachers both kind and frustrated.?á There is some humor, some adventure, some sorrow.?á Judy is not just a migrant child, but a 10 yo girl who wants to make friends, wants shoes and a dress, and wonders what she'll do when she grows up.?á she discovers she wants to be a nurse, and doesn't even think about being a doctor - realistic, I guess, but unfortunate

Ultimately, though, despite being interesting and engaging, it suffers in comparison to Blue Willow and The Velvet Room, awarded books about the California migrants." ( )

The author tells the story of Judy and her family, migrant workers, based on true stories from the mid 1900s. I liked how this book did not sugar-coat what Judy's family experienced, yet keeps the story simple enough for younger children to appreciate. Recommended. ( )