Books with author Barbara Smucker

There's a place the slaves been whisperin' around called Canada. The law don't allow no slavery there. They say you follow the North Star, and when you step onto this land you are free ...... Taken away from her mother by a ruthless slave trader, all Julilly has left is the dream of freedom. Every day that she spends huddled in the slaver trader's wagon travelling south or working on the brutal new plantation, she thinks about the land where it is possible to be free, a land she and her friend Liza may reach someday. So when workers from the Underground Railroad offer to help the two girls escape, they are ready. But the slave catchers and their dogs will soon be after them .....

Days of peace turn to days of terror for a young boy caught in the tensions of revolutionary times. Set in 1917 and the years following, Days of Terror tells the story of ten-year-old Peter Neufeld and his family. Sickened by the horrors of anarchy, famine and the Russian revolution, the Neufelds decide to join the mass exodus of Mennonites to North America. But will they survive the journey?

Days of peace turn to days of terror for a young boy caught in the tensions of revolutionary times. Set in 1917 and the years following, Days of Terror tells the story of ten-year-old Peter Neufeld and his family. Sickened by the horrors of anarchy, famine and the Russian revolution, the Neufelds decide to join the mass exodus of Mennonites to North America. But will they survive the journey?

Happily settled in the town of St. Jacobs, Selina has grown a whole inch since her family fled the Civil War. But even the peace of Upper Canada, a new house, and her own room cannot ease memories of loved ones left behind in Pennsylvania. Thoughts of Grandmother are never far away, especially when Selina touches the Bear Paw quilt on her bedstead. Then one day, news of a surprise visit sends the entire household into a flurry of preparation. Chores help to pass the time until Grandmother arrives, bringing Selina's troubled cousin Henry with her. But Selina can't help wondering about the mysterious recipe Grandmother has promised they'll make together. Shoo-Fly Pie sounds strange to Selina, but if it helps her cousin feel better, she's willing to give it a try.

Things never seem to go right for Jacob. He's the youngest in his family, so everyone treats him like a baby. And at school, he's the smallest kid in his class, the one who never gets picked for the baseball team. Sometimes he wonders if he'll ever be able to hit a home run or help with the grown-up chores around the farm. But then Jacob's father gets involved in an exciting experiment: raising giant Canada geese to help save them from extinction. And it's Jacob's job to take care of them, feeding them and protecting them from predators, even chasing away hunters. Most of all, Jacob worries about the smallest, frailest gosling. Will it grow like the others? Will it have the strength to fly south when the other birds migrate in fall? Only time —and Jacob's watchful care—will tell.

Taken away from her mother by a ruthless slave trader, all Julilly has left is the dream of freedom. Every day that she spends huddled in the slave trader’s wagon travelling south or working on the brutal new plantation, she thinks about the land where it is possible to be free, a land she and her friend Liza may reach someday. So when workers from the Underground Railroad offer to help the two girls escape, they are ready. But the slave catchers and their dogs will soon be after them…

Illustrated in full color. Selina's family has a conflict of its own when the American Civil War breaks out--they are Mennonites and their religion forbids them to go to war. Learning that they are in danger, Selina's father decides to move the family to Canada, where they can start a new life free from religious persecution. Before they leave, Selina's grandmother presents her with a patchwork quilt, a gift linking the generations. Authentic quilt designs frame each of the illustrations in this moving story about family values and the importance of passing on traditions.