Why We Chose Duck Dreams: City Boy to Farmer Boy

Sometimes a book that sounds great turns out to be too childish for PJ Our Way kids, or we think we’ve chosen a winner, and then – whoops, it’s not age-appropriate! So when Elizabeth Segel sent us her book Duck Dreams: City Boy to Farmer Boy, we were excited. Here was a book set in 1910 Massachusetts that was charming but didn’t sugar coat the challenges of life in the country, including poverty and prejudice. The protagonist, Simon, perseveres in the face of humorous setbacks and the serious opposition of an uncle who doesn’t think a Jewish boy should be a farmer. A 10-year-old boy who loved the book said it’s for “people who like deep and/or touching stories.”

The author of Duck Dreams, Elizabeth Segel, sadly died earlier this year. Near the end of her life, she learned that her book would become a PJ Our Way selection. Elizabeth and her family were delighted by this news, especially at the idea that so many kids would be able to enjoy the story she wanted to share widely. We at PJ Our Way are glad that we could bring them a little bit of joy at such a difficult time and help Elizabeth fulfill her dream – and share her wonderful book with our readers.