Worth

1. Bibliography

LaFaye, A. 2004. Worth. New York: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers. ISBN 0689857306


2. Plot Summary

This story is about a young boy, Nathaniel, who helps his father in the fields until one day his leg gets crushed by the wagon and he can no longer work. Then his father gets an orphan boy, John Worth, to help with the chores in the field. Nate is jealous of Worth. Worth is grieving the loss of his family. This is set in Nebraska at the time when the farmers and ranchers were battling over the land. In the end the two boys bond and realize there is room for both of them in the family.

3. Critical Analysis

This story is authentic. It represents the time period when the farmers and ranchers were battling over land. LaFaye does a great job of drawing the reader into the storyline. She reveals the attitudes and values of the people in Nebraska during the nineteenth century when the farmers and ranchers were battling for land. The setting of the story is described throughout the book with good details that gives the reader a good idea of what life was like during that time. The descriptions used are very vivid, “We had a field of hay drying in the prairie sun, but just one wagon, two horses, a few pitches, and our own hands.”(LaFaye, 2)

The characters are very believable. Readers will be able to relate to the boy protagonist because many people have felt worthless and unwanted at one time or another, just as Nate did when he stated, “Just be glad you aren’t in my shoes, boy. He got to spend the day with Pa watching rabbits and I had to sit in a room of kids who hated me, looking like the dunce that I am.” (LaFaye, 29)

The story has a good plot that holds the readers attention. It doesn’t overwhelm you with historical facts; rather it leads you through the time period with a realistic and heartfelt story.

The theme of this book comes with the title. Both the boys in the story have to discover their self-worth in life even though they’ve had tragic things happen to them and their families. The ending paragraph says it all, “…I realized I’d never have my leg as good as new. Ma would never hold her Missy again. John couldn’t see his family until the Lord called him home, but we’d make do with what we had. And what we had was pretty darn good.” (LaFaye, 144)

The style helps give a vicarious experience to the reader. The slang dialect used throughout the story helps capture the way people spoke during that time period. For example the use of the word won’t, “He won’t be sleeping in this house.” (LaFaye, 22)

This was a well written historical fiction book that focused on a made this historical time period come to life through a protagonist and a good story line.

4. Review Excerpt

Kirkus Reviews

"A steer you'd have to pay for, but a boy you could adopt for free," says Nathaniel after he injures his leg and his father adopts John Worth to help work their Nebraska land. Nathaniel is jealous of John, but there's enough bad feeling to go around. Ma and Pa have lost their little girl; John lost his family in a New York City fire (the reason he's an orphan); and Nathaniel fears he'll never walk properly again. Yet John proves his worth, and the two boys become like brothers as Nathaniel realizes the need to make do with what they have and get on with life. It's a lively story of two boys set against a backdrop of the Orphan Trains, range wars, lynchings, drownings, and sheep killings. Something for everyone. (Historical fiction. 8-12)

5. Connections

· Invite student to discuss what it feels like to be jealous, or left out.
· Encourage students to compare life during this time period to life today.