Bertie's Home

A carriage ride through a quiet village gives the Curtis family the prospect of a new home beside a lake. Mrs. Curtis is recovering from illness, and her husband sees country life as a way to support her health and raise their children among trees, fields and water. He agrees to buy land and prepares to build, while Bertie and Winnie discover the pleasures of a farmyard.

As the first volume of Madeline Leslie's Woodlawn series, the story introduces house building through family life and encounters with working people. Bertie accompanies his father to the blacksmith, whose new employment promises help for his sick daughter, and preparations include buying stone for the house's foundations. Religious teaching and kindness appear in everyday dealings between neighbours and tradesmen. Readers can follow a children's tale that joins practical information about work with a clear moral emphasis on respect, generosity and useful conduct.