Other editions of book Mountain Born

In Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates, she used her experiences from her early years of living on her father’s large farm and the hours spent with a News Hampshire shepherd in writing this fiction story. Wolves, weather, a black lamb, a trusty dog—all are part of Peter’s life on a mountain farm. His best friend is Benji, a wise old shepherd, and Benj teaches Peter to care for the sprightly lamb that becomes his special pet, his cosset. As Biddy grows into her place as leader of the flock, Peter grows too, learning the skills and joys of the shepherd’s life. Mountain Born is a Newbery Honor Book.

Mountain Born is about a very young boy and the lamb his mother saves from death. Peter, the boy, adopts the lamb and raises it by bottle from the day of its birth. The two become inseparable. They share many adventures with an older wise workhand named Benj. The book covers a span of seven years as Peter and his goat, Biddy grow up together. The story is interesting and describes life on a mountain sheep farm during the early 20th century. Peter's family live off the land, growing everything they need. Their clothing even comes from the wool of their sheep. Life is simple, requires hard work, and creates a strong bond between the humans and their animals. This is an endearing story of the cycle of life and a boy's growth into young manhood.

There were boulders at the top and he picked his way carefully among them. Suddenly he stopped still, gripping a rock and flattening himself against it. Not ten paces from him was a gray wolf, and around her four well-grown cubs were playing--prettily, if anything that spelt such horror could be pretty. His hands felt like ice on the rock. Wolves, weather, a black lamb, a trusty dog--all are part of Peter's life on a mountain farm. His best friend is Benj, a wise old shepherd, and Benj teaches him to care for the sprightly lamb that becomes his own special pet, his cosset. As Biddy grows into her place as leader of the flock, Peter grows too, learning the skills and joys of the shepherd's life.