Children’s/YA historical fiction. Read for school when homeschooled-Sonlight or Tapestry of Grace curriculum? Girl and her brother in mining town. She paints a sign and he compiles list of different terms for alcoholic beverages.

[Audrey]

I believe I read this for school when I was homeschooled. If so it most likely would have been part of either the Sonlight or Tapestry of Grace homeschool curriculum. Not sure when I read it, maybe roughly 2007-2012?? It was set in a mining town. I believe they mined gold but I’m not 100% on that. If so it probably took place in California. I remember the main character is a young girl who is good at painting. A business owner (maybe saloon/bar owner?) gets her to paint a new sign for him. I remember a church met in his building on Sunday which the girl found ironic. I remember she had a brother who was compiling a list of different names for alcoholic beverages (booze, liquor, etc.) ***SPOILER ALERT*** he dies at some point and the girl reflects on how his list of names for alcoholic beverages will never be finished. I always think of this book whenever I discover a new term for booze but I can’t remember the name! Hopefully someone knows what book I’m talking about:). Thanks!!

[Nachelle]

I'm pretty sure this is "The Ballad of Lucy Whipple" by Karen Cushman.

[Rainbowheart]

The Ballad of Lucy Whipple for Nachelle's suggestion.

[Audrey]

This may be it but I'm not 100%. I'll have to see if my library has it

[Kris]

Here's the Google Books preview of The Ballad of Lucy Whipple by Karen Cushman - Nachelle's suggestion:

https://books.google.com/books?id=hbP... There are different cover images.

[Kris]

Goodreads reviewers of The Ballad of Lucy Whipple by Karen Cushman say:

I think Ms. Cushman did an outstanding job of capturing the voice of the old miners, like putting at least 50 different names for alcohol in the story.
...
I enjoyed the vernacular and some of the 51 words for alcohol that were shared in the book!