The Barn

This book starts out with a boy named Ben, and while he is at his private boarding school in Portland his father has become ill and Ben will have to tend to him. On the way home his sister Nettie talks of the incident. It was worse than Ben had thought. When he and his sister get back to Oregon they see their brother Harrison tending to father. As they plow the fields every day, Ben starts to notice that father is trying to communicate in some fashion. So Ben finally understands some of the communications and tells Nettie and Harrison and they don't seem to believe him. Later on they see the communications and can not believe it themselves. They start to think that he is getting better and take him out to see how much plowing they have done and they enen let him come to sit at the dinner table. Then after Ben, Nettie, and Harrison realize that their father is trying to tell them something. Once they figure it out they will have to find a way to piece it all together and work together in ways they never thought they could. I really like this book because it was a book that wanted you to keep reading and reading. Five Star!!!

I am a sixth grade student almost going into seventh grade. Avi is one of my all time favrite authors ever since 5th grade where I first learned to love reading, and I always look forward to reading his books and this was no different. This book was touching, I really loved it and it was good for a quick read so I read it in one night. I think that Avi wrote this from the heart maybe his life similar but not entirely to this story. Tears came from my eyes when I read the ending, only someone with no heart would NOT like this book. I absolutely recommend it especially if you want a quick read on those rainy days, this is a book that will surely take your mind away from reality. amanda

The Barn is a heartwarming story about Ben, a 9 year old boy living in the 1800's who builds a barn with his 13 year old brother and 15 year old sister. Ben hopes the barn will help his father recover from a stroke. This is a timeless story about growing up and facing challenges in a courageous manner. Avi's style of writing is very simplistic and straight forward in this book.

THE BARN is a quick read novel, set in Oregon in l855. It is the story of how the construction of a simple barn, a dying father's wish, transforms the lives and bonding between three children and their father. Harrison, Nettie, and Ben, each had a different reason for agreeing to build the barn. The vision of the barn, standing strong on their farm property, remained a source of strength, satisfaction, love, and family pride throughout their lifetime. It was a true family gift.

This is a deceptively simple book -- a straightforward story laden with subtleties of writing, emotion, and meaning. It best read through once and then again slowly -- the first read will satisfy your "what's going to happen?" curiousity and will also deliver an emotional wallop; the second read gives you a chance to savor all the telling details and nuances that lead up to the wallop. Amazing that such spare writing can convey so much and so well. What a great book.