Crow in the Window

"Crow In The Window" is a work of creative nonfiction written for young readers from grades 3,4,5, and beyond. It is a remembrance of Vermont farm life in the era before "factory size" farms. It takes place in the year 1963 and is a glance into the life of a large farm family before cell phones and computer games. The action centers on Cathy, the of the oldest of seven children. She and her brother find an orphan crow and raise it to adulthood with lots of family and farm responsibilities filling their days. The children learn about the lives of crows and their place in the natural world of the farm Surrounding the tale of the crow, we see the chores, hard work, and fun of day to day life on a small farm.

The story also tells us about the experiences of a young girl in an isolated, rural area finding her own place in a new school and making new friends. The girl and the crow go through many of the same growing experiences. They both learn to let go of the safe and familiar in order to experience the wider world of people and places leading to an independent and expanding life.