Raising Cane with Cammie
by Elizabeth A. McMahan
ISBN-10: 0613745604
Review by Heather Froeschl
In 1934, in North Carolina, on a sorghum cane farm, ten-year-old Cammie learns what it really takes to be a member of a farm family. Nothing could be better and the air couldn't be sweeter than it is filled with the aroma of boiling molasses.
Through nearly a year of honest hard work, Cammie learns the ropes of raising cane, and in the process, so does the reader. In the early spring days, Cammie's dad readies the fields and Cammie finds a perfect quartz arrowhead. In a classic childhood fantasy tale, she and her cousin Ben create a buried treasure, complete with map. In the process they dig up an even greater treasure: an Indian axe head. Cammie and Ben help her father to thin the long rows of tiny plants and earn a good bit of money. Cammie opens a bank account for the first time and later uses some of her own money to put herself through 4-H camp.
All through the year Cammie learns the different jobs required on the farm and becomes a reliable family partner. This demonstrates the tight knit relationship that farming communities had and shows how families who farmed together really relied on each other. It makes the reader nostalgic for such opportunities.
The stories woven into the book are full of family times and strong characters. Children will love reading about Cammie's adventures and parents will enjoy the wholesomeness of the tales. In a plot that grows as the cane does, the reader will feel a satisfaction when the cycle is complete. Look for more from Elizabeth A. McMahan and young Cammie.
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