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The House in the Mail
In 1928, Emily's father brings home a book filled with pictures of houses made from kits, and she and her family can hardly decide which one to choose. Finally, Emily will be able to have her very own room, instead of sharing with her little brother. Detailed in scrapbook style, Rosemary and Tom Wells and Dan Andreasen have created a charming story with historical appeal that allows readers to follow the steps Emily and her family take as they design their new home.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published March 18, 2002
37 people want to read
About the author
Rosemary Wells
456 books381 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Rosemary Wells is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. She often uses animal characters to address real human issues. Some of her most well-known characters are Max & Ruby and Timothy from Timothy Goes To School (both were later adapted into Canadian-animated preschool television series, the former’s airing on Nickelodeon (part of the Nick Jr. block) and the latter’s as part of PBS Kids on PBS).
Rosemary Wells is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. She often uses animal characters to address real human issues. Some of her most well-known characters are Max & Ruby and Timothy from Timothy Goes To School (both were later adapted into Canadian-animated preschool television series, the former’s airing on Nickelodeon (part of the Nick Jr. block) and the latter’s as part of PBS Kids on PBS).
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 2, 2019
We loved this! Historically interesting, heartfully touching, full of warmth and good spirit.
February 28, 2019
Creating a scrapbook in 1927, a young girl tells the story of how her family orders a house in the mail and puts together the kit with a bucket of nails. She talks about how they move out of the little house they share with their grandparents and all the changes and excitement of the new technology she discovers; like an electric refrigerator, electric lights, a washing machine, a gas stove, and running water indoors.
The first time that I read this book I was immediately intrigued at how the speaker so easily pulls the reader in, by pulling you through a "time warp" back to the time when she was writing. I was disappointed in the fact that this idea of directly addressing the reader was not carried throughout the book. Overall I love how the book is organized to make it feel like it is a scrapbook of sorts, with illustrations of photographs, pressed flowers, and labels of these images to make it seem like a real scrapbook. I also like how Wells formatted the text in the book. By choosing a font that looks like writing and framing the words as if they were written on real paper, helps carry the idea that the speaker is writing a letter throughout the book. The cover also ties into the theme of a scrapbook and the illustration is of a girl (the main character) holding a scrapbook, which shows that the young girl is the speaker and is most likely holding the book that we are reading. I think this book would be an interesting book to use in the classroom if talking about how to write a personal story, or a narrative. Also it would be interesting to use this book to show how to use pictures to help the reader know what you are talking about in the text.
https://www.rosemarywells.com/
The first time that I read this book I was immediately intrigued at how the speaker so easily pulls the reader in, by pulling you through a "time warp" back to the time when she was writing. I was disappointed in the fact that this idea of directly addressing the reader was not carried throughout the book. Overall I love how the book is organized to make it feel like it is a scrapbook of sorts, with illustrations of photographs, pressed flowers, and labels of these images to make it seem like a real scrapbook. I also like how Wells formatted the text in the book. By choosing a font that looks like writing and framing the words as if they were written on real paper, helps carry the idea that the speaker is writing a letter throughout the book. The cover also ties into the theme of a scrapbook and the illustration is of a girl (the main character) holding a scrapbook, which shows that the young girl is the speaker and is most likely holding the book that we are reading. I think this book would be an interesting book to use in the classroom if talking about how to write a personal story, or a narrative. Also it would be interesting to use this book to show how to use pictures to help the reader know what you are talking about in the text.
https://www.rosemarywells.com/
February 24, 2014
I really liked this book. It was quite a surprise. I wasn't aware of this but during the first half of the 20th century it was possible to order a house from Sears through the mail. The House in the Mail tells one family's story through the eyes of the oldest daughter. There are so many wonderful things about this book I'm not sure where to start.
I'll begin w/ the setting. 1920's America was on the cusp of the modern era and that's vividly illustrated in this book. The family is moving from a farmhouse complete w/ outhouse and an out door spigot, to a "modern" house w/ indoor plumbing and washing machine and a freezer! I think this is a great theme to illustrate change over longer periods of time.
The other aspect of this book that I loved were the illustrations. The book takes the form of a scrapbook with the text paired w/ drawings of pictures and artifacts from the narrators life. I think this is a perfect tool for illustrating that history can take many forms. It doesn't have to be something written in a book, it can be a picture, a brochure, a nail, or a drawing.
I would definitely use this book in a lesson, possibly having my children make books of their own on a similar model.
I'll begin w/ the setting. 1920's America was on the cusp of the modern era and that's vividly illustrated in this book. The family is moving from a farmhouse complete w/ outhouse and an out door spigot, to a "modern" house w/ indoor plumbing and washing machine and a freezer! I think this is a great theme to illustrate change over longer periods of time.
The other aspect of this book that I loved were the illustrations. The book takes the form of a scrapbook with the text paired w/ drawings of pictures and artifacts from the narrators life. I think this is a perfect tool for illustrating that history can take many forms. It doesn't have to be something written in a book, it can be a picture, a brochure, a nail, or a drawing.
I would definitely use this book in a lesson, possibly having my children make books of their own on a similar model.
June 14, 2018
I have to say, I am rather disappointed with The House in the Mail
by Rosemary Wells. I did not enjoy the first person narrative or the structure of the storytelling and think it could have been told in a different and better way. The artwork was satisfactory.
by Rosemary Wells. I did not enjoy the first person narrative or the structure of the storytelling and think it could have been told in a different and better way. The artwork was satisfactory.
September 10, 2018
This story is set in 1927 on a farm in Enfield, Kentucky. The narrator is twelve-year old Emily Cartwright. Although the book is in picture book format, the library catalog record lists it as appropriate for Grades 2-5. The vocabulary and assorted opportunities to discuss historical facts from the early part of the twentieth century lead me to recommend this as a middle-grade book.
Tom Wells, Rosemary Wells's husband, was an architect. One of the highlights of the manuscript, in my opinion, is the S.T.E.A.M. education focus on engineering. In the book, the Cartwrights, along with help from their neighbors, build a house from the foundation up. The house is a bungalow kit purchased from Sears, Roebuck & Company for $2,500.00 in early 1927.
Mr. Cartwright and his neighbor, Will, worked on digging a big hole in the ground for the foundation. Then they used boulders out of the ground using two draft horses. The boulders were then split up to make the foundation walls and used mortar to fill the spaces in-between the rock pieces.
When the train hauling their house was scheduled to arrive, many townspeople waited at the railroad station to see the order from Sears, Roebuck & Company pull in. Emily reports that it took three trips in her grandfather's old pickup truck to haul the entire load back to the farm.
Emily continues to report how the walls are raised upright and how she helped by reading the measurements off of the blueprints outloud to her father and neighbor so they could work continuously.
In between reporting the progress on the assembly of the house, Emily shares about the town's Fourth of July celebration. At this point in the story, Emily mentions that their neighbor Will served in 'The Great War'. This would be an excellent gateway to a discussion about America's role in World War I.
Later in the story Emily gives us a blow-by-blow report of how the roof is applied to the house. I wasn't surprised to learn roofs are assembled the same way now as they were back then except back then roofers didn't have staple and nail guns to ease and speed up their work!
After the children had returned to school in early September, the men began working on the interior of the home. Emily's enthusiasm in reporting about the plumbing, electrical, coal-burning furnace and ductwork, plaster walls, yellow pine floor boards, and kitchen linoleum {as written by Rosemary Wells} is contagious.
The book is formatted like an old-time scrapbook with images of old advertisements for ice boxes, houses, washing machines, and cook stoves and other period ephemera scattered among hand-drawings supposedly made by Emily. I felt these visual details add to the whimsy and fun of this book.
Highly-recommended to teachers, parents/grandparents, librarians, museum docents; and fans of Americana, architecture, home appliances. Also, I think fans of the post-World War I to World War II era of American history would enjoy a tween's take on society and industrialization as Emily is fascinated with indoor plumbing, heating, and electricity.
I borrowed this book from the children's section in the local public library.
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Tom Wells, Rosemary Wells's husband, was an architect. One of the highlights of the manuscript, in my opinion, is the S.T.E.A.M. education focus on engineering. In the book, the Cartwrights, along with help from their neighbors, build a house from the foundation up. The house is a bungalow kit purchased from Sears, Roebuck & Company for $2,500.00 in early 1927.
Mr. Cartwright and his neighbor, Will, worked on digging a big hole in the ground for the foundation. Then they used boulders out of the ground using two draft horses. The boulders were then split up to make the foundation walls and used mortar to fill the spaces in-between the rock pieces.
When the train hauling their house was scheduled to arrive, many townspeople waited at the railroad station to see the order from Sears, Roebuck & Company pull in. Emily reports that it took three trips in her grandfather's old pickup truck to haul the entire load back to the farm.
Emily continues to report how the walls are raised upright and how she helped by reading the measurements off of the blueprints outloud to her father and neighbor so they could work continuously.
In between reporting the progress on the assembly of the house, Emily shares about the town's Fourth of July celebration. At this point in the story, Emily mentions that their neighbor Will served in 'The Great War'. This would be an excellent gateway to a discussion about America's role in World War I.
Later in the story Emily gives us a blow-by-blow report of how the roof is applied to the house. I wasn't surprised to learn roofs are assembled the same way now as they were back then except back then roofers didn't have staple and nail guns to ease and speed up their work!
After the children had returned to school in early September, the men began working on the interior of the home. Emily's enthusiasm in reporting about the plumbing, electrical, coal-burning furnace and ductwork, plaster walls, yellow pine floor boards, and kitchen linoleum {as written by Rosemary Wells} is contagious.
The book is formatted like an old-time scrapbook with images of old advertisements for ice boxes, houses, washing machines, and cook stoves and other period ephemera scattered among hand-drawings supposedly made by Emily. I felt these visual details add to the whimsy and fun of this book.
Highly-recommended to teachers, parents/grandparents, librarians, museum docents; and fans of Americana, architecture, home appliances. Also, I think fans of the post-World War I to World War II era of American history would enjoy a tween's take on society and industrialization as Emily is fascinated with indoor plumbing, heating, and electricity.
I borrowed this book from the children's section in the local public library.
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March 4, 2017
One of my favorite books ever! I love this story of a kit house and the transition to mass industrialization. Fantastic read!
December 18, 2016
Emily and Homer share the attic as their grandparents and parents take the other two bedrooms in their small home. When a new baby is expected, plans are made to build a new house. They peruse the Sears catalog to choose their new house, and it arrives on the train.
I enjoy stories that teach and inform in an interesting manner. There are many bits of history presented in attractive illustrations and snippets. The time period explored shows the abrupt changes in day-to-day life as advancements brought people electricity and indoor plumbing.
January 30, 2009
Mommy says: Really cool!
March 3, 2010
love the scrapbook/diary format of the book. is about ordering a house form a sears catalog in mid to late 1920s. includes actual houses available from catalogs
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews