From Publishers Weekly When 14-year-old Maggie Callahan struck out to find a new life in the back woods of Pennsylvania， she didn't know it would mean packing on a horse over stony trails for two weeks. But she hung on， thinking of the warm welcome she was sure to receive at her dear Aunt Franny's homestead farm. When she arrives， she finds the cabin deserted; Aunt Franny has moved farther west. With nothing but her Aunt's gift of a pouch of sourdough starter yeast around her neck， Maggie carves out a life for herself in the wilderness， using Aunt Franny's lessons to become the "Bread Sister" of Sinking Creek. In this adventure story of a young woman's search for a place in the world of pioneer America， Moore expertly blends the excitement and danger of living alone under rustic conditions with the primal， earthy process of bread baking. Maggie emerges as a down-to-earth， sensible girl with a streak of wildness that readers will find irresistible. Ages 9-12. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From School Library Journal Grade 5-8-- Maggie Callahan is a strong female protagonist indeed. Not only does she travel with a pack-train from Philadelphia deep into the wilds of the central Pennsylvania mountains in 1776; when she finds that the aunt she hoped to join there has moved on to Ohio， the 14-year-old pioneer rejects returning to the city where she has no family in favor of making a life for herself in Sinking Creek. She becomes a hired girl for the McGrew family， helping hostile Mrs. McGrew and deaf 12-year-old Annie with the chores and caring for the baby. Maggie's aunt left her with an important family legacy: spook yeast (what we know as sourdough starter)， the key to wonderful loaves of bread. The residents of Sinking Creek appreciated her aunt's bread， so Maggie finds that her ability to bake it gives her status in the community as well as a commodity she can trade for other needs. Moore's characters are fully developed， from self-important McGrew， his burdened wife， lively Annie， to Maggie herself， who shows just us how feisty she can be when necessary. Moore rounds out the book with several pages on the history of sourdough bread， recipes for starter and for a simple-to-make and a more complicated bread. His details of the hardships of Maggie's life are simply told but grittily realistic， while his skill as a storyteller comes through in the tall tales told in a boisterous Christmas party scene. A good addition to the many books already available on life in early America. --Sylvia S. Marantz， Wellington School， Columbus， OHCopyright 1990 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. See all Editorial Reviews"