The Rag Coat

The narrator lives with her parents in a small mining town. Her father is a miner and her mother is a quilter. The girl wants to go to school, but doesn't have a coat to wear. Her father would like her to go to school, but dies of black lung disease before she can start. After her father dies, the family becomes even poorer. The women in her mother's quilting group hear about the girl's dream of going to school and that she needs a coat to make the dream come true, so they make her one out of each family's rags. When the girl arrives at school in her rag coat, the other students tease her, but then she starts telling them the stories that go with each rag in her coat. As a result, the children come to respect her. The story is great for older children, and particularly engaging for girls. It has about 2000 words.

One of the most touching and beautiful stories I have ever read! A little girl loses the father she so deeply loves, but never forgets the important lessons he taught her or the love he had for her. Her dream is to go to school, but her family can't buy her a coat. Finally, kind friends of her mama help make her a coat out of quilt pieces. Her excitement at wearing her new coat to school and sharing it with her new friends quickly changes to sadness when she is taunted by her playmates. But she remembers her father's lessons and his love and helps her friends come to see how special her coat is--to ALL of them! This story is part of the reading series I teach from and when I read it for the first time last year, my class was staring at me in amazement as I sobbed my way through the end! I had to get a copy for myself and my little girl!

I must confess, I was not prepared to read my 5 year old a book on death...and I was a little shocked to find out during my first time reading it to her (I guess I should have pre-read it). Even so, I loved it, and so did she! This story deals with the sorrow of death and the humiliation of poverty in a real and positive way, without being sentimental. It is beautiful to see a child come up with a loving solution to her problems.

I'm a student teacher, and I used this book in our classroom, and this is an outstanding read. Outstanding! This is the story of a little girl who wants to go to school, but she doesn't have a coat. Her mom and some of her friends make a coat out of rags. When she wears this beautiful looking coat (and it is beautiful coat) to school, her classmates make fun of her and the coat. She runs off to the woods in tears. She remembers the words of her father who died. Minna then went back to the class and explained that this coat, just wansn't rags. The "rags" came from the childhood of the kids in the class. An old blanket here, an old coat there. They soon realize that each part of the rag coat, has a story to it.This is a wonderful way to show a classroom that they are a community, and a part of each other. If you're a teacher, or someone who volunteers time in your childs class, or a student teacher, go out and get this book for your class. The kids will ove it. For a project, (and if you know someone that can sew) each child can bring in a "rag" and make a class "rag coat"

This is a beautiful story for Grandmothers, or Grandfathers, to read to their Grandchildren and for Grandchildren to read to their Grandparents. Both generations will love the heart warming story. Lauren Mills illustrations are are pure "Once Upon A time."