This book is a story of Sally Jane's experience of changing times in rural America, as she lives through the drowning of the Swift River towns in western Massachusetts to form the Quabbin Reservoir.

Yolen relates Sally Jane's experience of changing times in rural America, as she lives through the flooding of the Swift River towns in western Massachusetts to form the Quabbin Reservoir.

This is a historical fiction story set in 1927 about the flooding of four towns to make the Quabbin Reservoir. Told through the eyes of a little girl, Sally Jane, we learn about what life was like before, during, and after the flooding.

Teaching Connections: Massachusetts Social Studies curriculum, Quabbin research, problem and solution, visualizing, making connections, making inferences, summarizing, making predictions, asking questions

Website Resources:
Video on Past & Present Quabbin Reservoir - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE4Q5LOK2ec ( )

This book is about a town that has a resoviour for clean water. The town of Boston is in great need of the water and they pay to get the water. Throughout the book they start taking down the town to get the water for the town of Boston. The little girl is trying to remember the town while riding in a boat with her papa. Very detailed picture book

4 1/2 - I grabbed this up at the thrift store as I absolutely love Barbara Cooney's folk art illustrations of historic Americana. The story is wonderful, I love picture books that teach and open a child's eyes to a subject, little glimpses of history for example. The destruction of seven towns to create a reservoir and the process involved and emotions felt by the people is a fabulous example. I think O found it very interesting. Someday when she sees the massive Hover Damn she might think back to this story. ( )