The Robertsons are a pioneer family living on a backwoods farm in 1840. After a hard winter, welcome signs of spring also mean new chores: making maple syrup, planting crops, and shearing sheep. Weaving together fiction and fact, Barbara Greenwood tells stories about the Robertsons as she describes the daily tasks of pioneer cooking, slaughtering hogs, and operating a grist mill. Readers follow the Robertsons through the year learning what it was like-to attend school, make butter, or tell time by the sun-by participating in many of the activities. A Pioneer Sampler is an informative and engaging introduction to the world of the pioneers. Book jacket.