Simeon's Fire

by Cathryn Clinton

Book Overview

As a rash of suspicious barn fires target his Amish community, a young boy wrestles with a frightening secret in this simply told, deeply affecting novel from the author of A STONE IN MY HAND and THE CALLING. On the Amish farm where he lives and works with his family, ten-year-old Simeon Zook hears and feels things other people miss - things like the quiet sounds of birds and animals or even the subtle sense that something is not quite right. It is...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0763627070
• ISBN13: 9780763627072
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
• Length: 116 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

Where is the sequel?

This is one of the those great books that you wish would continue. Simeon is a young Amish boy who thinks he would like to be a veterinarian, but is increasingly aware of the price he would have to pay to pursue that dream. As he works on the farm and thinks about his future, a more immediate threat surfaces: an arsonist. This is a great book that obviously deserves a follow-up. Does Simeon's family figure out the mystery behind the fires? Will Simeon decide to continue with his education?

A fascinating and intriguing look at life in an Amish community

Simeon's days in his Amish community are ordered and well-regulated. Divided between domestic chores and his work on the farm, his life centers mainly on his large family. A few hints of the outside world do hover over him. For example, his oldest brother Sylvan is experimenting with "running around" --- the year the Amish get to explore the world before deciding whether or not to be baptized --- and Simeon himself thinks he might like to become a veterinarian like Dr. Tom Brubaker rather than a farmer like his father. Certainly he has an almost magical connection to animals, especially Lena A., the cow he was given on his eighth birthday. Still, the outside world seems remote until a rash of fires break out on Amish property. For the first time, Simeon feels less than safe at home. That doesn't stop him from going out late one night to check on Lena A. --- and catching two men in the act of setting fire to the family barn. "You better forget that you ever knew anyone was here, because if you don't, we'll be back, and we'll burn your house down." How can Simeon protect the family he loves? Reporting the two men to the fire marshal would only put his family in danger. Can he solve the mystery on his own? Only by growing up and learning to deal with his emotions and responsibilities can Simeon determine the right course of action. In SIMEON'S FIRE, Cathryn Clinton presents a compelling story about one boy growing up Amish in a rural community in Pennsylvania. Filled with rich and satisfying detail, it is an opportunity to peer into another, different world. Both Simeon's questioning and his dilemma are believable, and he and his father in particular are compelling characters. Clinton portrays the Amish in a positive and even fascinating light, and leaves the reader wanting to know more about the community and their values. --- Reviewed by Paula Jolin