Four lively children and their hard-working mother face everyday adventures, and a big worry, in their small yellow house on New Dollar Street
Life on New Dollar Street
The Moffats live in a small yellow house on New Dollar Street in the town of Cranbury. There is Mama, a dressmaker who works hard to keep the family going, and four children: Sylvie, the eldest, sensible Joey, curious Jane and little Rufus. Money is tight, and a sign has appeared on the house saying it is for sale. Meanwhile, ordinary days keep turning into adventures.
Who will enjoy it
Readers who enjoy gentle family stories like The Saturdays or Ramona, and families looking for a cosy classic read-aloud.
What you will get
A warm, funny classic about four siblings and their hard-working mother, whose ordinary days in a small town turn into memorable adventures.
The Moffats Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Children’s Books · Family life · Small town · Everyday adventures
Length
224 pages · ≈ 7 h
More about this book
Jane is the heart of the book. She is convinced that the town's police chief is watching her, she gets stuck in a breadbox and she finds herself on an unplanned trip, while Rufus's first day at school and Joey's efforts to help his mother provide more comic and touching moments. Each chapter is a self-contained episode, ideal for reading aloud.
Estes writes with a rare sensitivity to how children think. Small things loom large, and the Moffats' world of trolleys, neighbours and dressmaking is described with affection and wit. The family's money worries are present but handled gently, and their closeness gives the book a strong sense of security.
The setting is the early twentieth century, and the slower pace and old-fashioned details may need a little adjustment for modern readers. Louis Slobodkin's original illustrations add charm. It begins a series of four books about the family. Readers who love it can continue with The Middle Moffat and Rufus M., which follow the same family through further small adventures, and the books work beautifully read aloud over many evenings. About 224 pages in the Harcourt paperback.
The Hundred Dresses
The Saturdays
The Penderwicks
The Story of the Treasure Seekers
Ramona Forever
Ramona and Her Mother
The Cricket in Times Square
The Borrowers
Llama Llama Mad at Mama
Little House on the Prairie
Princess Academy
Sarah, Plain and Tall