Synopses & Reviews
"Nothing's more important on this farm than hay," Gramp tells Nora. The hay is cut now and drying in the field. But the sky turns milky white. Then it's gray, and then it's grayer. Rain is coming and that could spoil the hay. Can Nora and Gramp and Gram get into the barn before the rain comes down? Here come sprinkles and then fat, wet drops...Hurry!
"2001 Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)"
Synopsis
Nora, Gramp, and Gram have an important seasonal chore to do on their Vermont farm, and time is of the essence. This is the day to gather the hay, but the sky is turning gray with rain clouds. They must work hard to gather the hay so the horses can eat all winter. Color illustrations.
About the Author
Jessie Haas has written four books about Nora and her grandparents:
Hurry!, Sugaring; No Foal Yet; and
Mowing. She is the author of a popular series of young novels about Lily and her mare, Beware, which includes
Beware and Stogie; Be Well, Beware; A Blue for Beware; and
Beware the Mare. The author's titles for older readers include
Unbroken; Fire! My Parents' Story; Westminster West; and
Uncle Daney's Way. Ms. Haas is a graduate of Wellesley College, a political activist, and a lifelong Vermonter.
In Her Own Words...
"I grew up on a small Vermont farm. My childhood was full of haying, gardening, horseback riding, and animals. I trained my own horse. I was given a goat for my sixteenth birthday. My mother was the town poundkeeper, so we had an endless stream of stray cats and dogs coming through. Lots of them stayed.
"Along with animals, there was reading. Everywhere. Even in the bathtub. I read all the horse stories ever written, as first choice, and then anything else printed on a page. At Wellesley, influenced by Jane Austen and all those horse stories, I wrote my first novel, Keeping Barney. My teacher, Helen Corsa, suggested I send the book to Susan Hirschman, a former student of hers. Greenwillow rejected Keeping Barney with many useful suggestions. I took them, and the book was accepted a month before I graduated.
"That same month I married Michael Daley, and three years later we built a tiny cabin just uphill from my parents' cow pasture. We had one room at first, with no insulation, no phone, no plumbing, and no electricity-but a very small mortgage. The little house gave us-still gives us-the freedom to pursue our interests without having to get "real jobs." I've worked at a vegetable stand, a village store, and a yarn mill, all part-time, while concentrating mainly on my writing.
"I still live the same kind of life I did growing up. I ride a horse I trained myself. A cat sleeps on my desk as I work. I walk to my parents' farm every day, and I can pick out the exact spot in the pasture where my horse Josey gave me Beware the Mare.
"Writing is a lot like the other things I do. Sometimes it's like planting seeds, and rewriting is a lot like weeding! Then when a story is ripe, it's put in a book to preserve it. Other times, writing feels more like riding, a process of balance, rebalance, and profound concentration. A story can go sour, just like a horse. You have to push it, but not too hard, and keep it moving freely forward.
"I love the challenge of trying to put the truth down on paper. I want to make the words transparent, so that the page becomes an open window. I hope to pass along, through my stories, the joy and strength that others have given to me."