• 216 pages, small pages but lots of words per page
• Historical Fiction
• Newberry Honor Book

Set in Hungary in the early 1900’s, a story of a Hungarian farming family with one son, Jansci, who takes in a cousin, Kate, who starts off as a rebellious handful but soon grows to love farming life and learns the value of family and hard work

Well-written (written in 1935) book appropriate for strong 4th graders. Drags a little.

When Easter is celebrated, there is no mention of God but much made of the harvest.

Jancsi is overjoyed to hear that his cousin from Budapest is coming to spend the summer on his father's ranch on the Hungarian plains. But their summer proves more adventurous than he had hoped when headstrong Kate arrives, as together they share horseback races across the plains, country fairs and festivals, and a dangerous run-in with the gypsies.

Sometimes a reader comes across a book that makes a deeper mark than the usual just by blessed luck. I found my beautiful old copy of The Good Master in a bookshop that I don't frequent. I picked it up for it's gorgeous dust jacket...and set it back. I actually left the store, and hours later, at a coffee shop a short walk away decided I *had* to go back for that book. I'm so glad I did...not only is it a visual treat with the above mentioned dust jacket and endearing illustrations throughout but it's revealed itself to be a charming story of a time and place that isn't anymore, rural Hungary before WWI altered things so. The characters are all carefully crafted and such good, positive people. There is a bit of gypsy prejudice...which I took as it was portrayed, gently. I read this alone, sharing bits with my son but I will encourage both kids to read this one and laugh and bask in the warmth it leaves the reader with. ( )

good

It was a perfectly serviceable story about impish city girl Kate going to live with her country relatives but it lacked real people. Kate is a a little demon to start and there is no reason why she becomes a good girl expect that you've turned enough pages and the story has moved on. There really isn't any reason why and so she and her cousin Jansci are very 2 dimensional characters. Seredy has more fun with the people who tell stories and fables and myths. It had too much of a "A Boy and Girl of Hungary" social studies book than a fun read.