Bert Breen's Barn

by Walter D. Edmonds

Book Overview

Tom Dolan is an impoverished youth who lives in upstate New York with his mother and two sisters. Set in the early part of this century, the story concerns young Tom's fascination with Bert Breen's barn, a huge structure that looms on the landscape, long ago deserted and uninhabited, and the mystery of Bert Breen's ''treasure," a large sum of money rumored to have been buried on the barn grounds. Tom gets the idea into his head that he would like...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0815602553
• ISBN13: 9780815602552
• Release Date: June 1991
• Publisher: Syracuse University Press
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 3 years and up
• Grade Range: Preschool and higher

Customer Reviews

Adirondack Boyhood at the turn of the 19th Century

I believe it's an error where it says this book is for 4-8 year olds. I would say 12 and up or perhaps a bit older. I would emphsize that anyone could enjoy this story. I liked it cause it brought me back to the Adirondack countryside at the turn of the 19-20th centuries. It gave me a sense of what life may have been like at that time. The author lived in the area and was about the same age of the main character at the same time. Anyway, I'm 41 and I came across this book at a yard sale. I read the first chapter and was pulled in. The writing was very good. The story was definitely written at a time when we didn't need to have foul language, exploding everything and rampent promiscuity shoved down our throats to take us along. In fact this book shows how sometimes the simplicity of a valiant effort through determiniation and pushing through all obstacles can pay off. Though if your buying this for a child who is in danger of quitting school, buy another book. The kid in this quits because he has to help his family survive and ends up on the right side of things anyway. It's a typical Hard work pays off story. The writing makes it better. There were so many opportunities for the author to slip of into improbabilty, that he took the high road makes it more of a success, in my view. Story: Boy sees unused well built Barn and aspires to someday buy it. Quits school and goes to work. Buys barn and has an adventure in the dissembling and transport. Obstacles are local poacher/bootleggers/neardowell red neck types. I read it's 270 pages in just a few days which means the author did a good job. I recommend it.