Seven+Wonders+Background



"Here is a story that will inspire you to look for the wonders in your own town—and make you want to pass this special book along to the next reader." From a review by Lynn Beckwith [] =Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs= by Betty G. Birney

A young boy named Eben McAllister lives in the small town of Sassafras Springs, Missouri. His teacher, Miss Collins, gave Eben a book at the end of the school year. The book is full of descriptions and pictures of the Seven Wonders of the World. Eben spends a lot of time with his nose in the book. His Pa and Aunt Pretty begin to ask him questions about the book he is so interested in. As he describes the wonders listed in his book Eben expresses a desire to see the world outside of Sassafras Springs. In his book Eben reads that a wonder is "a marvel; that which aroused awe, astonishment, surprise, or admiration." Pa believes there is no reason to search the world for Wonders when Eben cannot "see the marvels right under your nose." So Pa challenges Eben to find seven wonders right there in Sassafrass Springs. If he can complete the challenge Pa will by him a train ticket to visit his relatives in Colorado. It is a big challenge for Eben who believes his community is boring and uninteresting. However, Eben has the itch to travel and begins to look for wonders in his life. During his hunt for wonders Eben learns the importance of people and places right in his own community.

Buhler Legacy
After reading the book "Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" we began a journey in our own community. We set out to find out what kind of wonders exist in Buhler, Kansas. During the project students began to investigate the Buhler community to find the treasures (wonders) that are a part of their everyday life. Students were encouraged to look at all aspects of our community as Eben did in the book. Students used the interview process and investigated sites, people and ideas in town to develop a list of possible wonders in Buhler. During this two year project students used a variety of technology tools to gather, process and record information about Buhler's past, present and future.