Life in Sassafras Springs has always been predictable, boring even, but one afternoon that changes when Eben McAllister’s pa challenges him to find Seven Wonders in Sassafras that rival the real Seven Wonders of the World. The reward? An adventure that Eben’s been craving — a trip to Colorado.
Even doesn’t think he’ll have any luck — he can’t think of one single thing that could be considered wondrous in Sassafras — but he’s willing to try. Little does he know that the Wonders he’ll discover among his neighbors, friends, relatives, and family will give him the adventure of a lifetime…without ever leaving his home.
Description taken from Goodreads.
Technically, this is fit for middle-grade and children’s lit, but I had to review this one. The whole point of throwback reviews is to talk about books that were really important to me as a kid and as a middle-grader, and The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs fits that criteria pretty well.
If you look at the books I tend to enjoy, it makes no sense why I love this book so much, but I do.
I guess it has this dated, comfortable feeling to it. From the beginning, Eben feels less like a book character and more like a friend. His feelings are relatable, and I enjoyed his journey from start to finish even though nothing really happens except character development. Be warned: it’s not dramatic character development.
This book is powerful in the quietest of ways, and I love it for that. The descriptions and the writing was spot-on for this story, and I was completely immersed in the world of Sassafras Springs. I wouldn’t say it’s like To Kill a Mockingbird, but it has a similar feel and character development.
In the story, Eben is forced to comfort his presumptions about his town and his own reasons for wanting to leave. By the end, he’s not entirely sure what he wants. Over the course of the story, he learns to open up his mind to the people and the stories all around him, and he even makes some good friends.
The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs is, without a doubt, a slice-of-life kind of story. Not everyone will love it. It may actually be a hard sell for its target audience, but I enjoy its simple charm, and I wish that there were more books like it. If it doesn’t sound like your cup of tea but you’re still interested in books like it, I would suggest reading Kate DiCamillo’s The Tiger Rising or Victoria Forester’s The Girl Who Could Fly, both of which are books I also really loved. 4.5 stars.
pg count for the hardback: 236
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