Abbie Against the Storm

The dramatic true story of a young heroine who operated a lighthouse during a terrible winter storm in her father's absence, saving countless lives out at sea.

When seventeen-year-old Abbie Burgess and her family move to Maine where her father will be caring for a lighthouse, she is immediately fascinated by the lights. Abbie becomes her father's assistant, and when he is forced to make an emergency trip to the mainland, Abbie alone knows how to keep the lighthouse tower lit. Soon after he leaves, a massive storm arises, surging over the island and flooding their house. Will Abbie be able to care for her sick mother and younger sisters and make sure that the lighthouse guides ships safely through the treacherous waters?

This fictionalized account of a young girl's triumph over a savage storm as well as her own fears, is based on an actual incident that took place in the winter of 1856. Gorgeously illustrated with powerful oil paintings, young Abbie will inspire readers to face all storms as bravely.

Short-listed for Bluebonnet Awards 2002 Short-listed for Young Hoosier Book Award (Grades K-3) 2003

“Vaughan's straightforward narrative conveys the danger of the storm as well as the heroine's bravery and stamina...Farnsworth's resplendent paintings of the turbulent seas heighten the drama and lend the tale immediacy. -- Publisher's Weekly”

Vaughan's straightforward narrative conveys the danger of the storm as well as the heroine's bravery and stamina...Farnsworth's resplendent paintings of the turbulent seas heighten the drama and lend the tale immediacy.
—Publisher's Weekly
Farnsworth's striking illustrations enhance the tale. With muted tones and misty texture, these lovely drawings add to the sense of urgency Abbie must have felt. The story itself is fascinating in depicting the initiative and courage of young Abbie.
—Today's Librarian

When acclaimed author Marcia Vaughan was a young girl, she loved telling wild stories to her friends. As a graduate of Washington State University, she began her career as a librarian and was soon writing books herself. Now she is the author of over 100 books for children, including the timeless 1986 treasure Wombat Stew, Three Bears of the Pacific Northwest, Kissing Coyotes, and Five Pesky Pumpkins. She lives in Tacoma, Washington.

Artist Bill Farnsworth is an award-winning artist and illustrator whose work has been seen in galleries, on book covers and magazines, and children's books starting in the 1980s. He has illustrated over 75 books for children over the past four decades, including books Kaya: 1764 (for the Amercian Girl brand) and The Adventures of Vin Fin (with author Clive Cussler). He is a graduate of Ringling School of Art and Design, and a member of the Society of Illustrators in New York. Bill has done painstaking research to make Abbie historically accurate. He lives in Venice, Florida.

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