Wilson, Diane Lee. Tracks.

Wilson, Diane Lee.   Tracks.  McElderry Books see Simon & Schuster, 2012.     275p.   $16.99.

ISBN 978-1-4424-2013-7       ms/hs   Historical Fiction        VG-BN                      

After the loss of his father to war in 1866, a thirteen-year-old Irish boy named Malachy Gormley joins the workers building the Transcontinental Railroad to earn money for his family.  He meets many men and is intrigued by the differences he observes in the Chinese workers.  His knowledge of the “Celestials” is based on prejudice, and he notes the callous mistreatment and derogatory remarks directed to the Chinese men by the American workers.
Lonely and curious, Malachy begins a tentative friendship with a Chinese boy.  The friendship grows over the two years of working together, forming a bond that leads Malachy to boldly defend his new friend against racial mistreatment.
Diane Lee Wilson has created a well-researched, insightful historical fiction novel.  Descriptions and dialogue accurately depict the prejudices and mistreatment of the Chinese workers on the Transcontinental Railroad.  The action, well-paced plot, and remarkable figurative language make the characters and story believable and exciting.  This is definitely a page-turner, as the reader roots for the survival and success of Malachy as well as the development of his friendship with Ducks.

Subject: Transcontinental Railroad -- Fiction                                                             Virginia McGarvey

Holt, Kimberly Willis The Water Seeker

Holt, Kimberly Willis The Water Seeker
Henry Holt/Macmillan children's pub group 2010 301p 16.99
978-0-8050-8020-9 ms/jr Historical E-BN
Young Amos had to decide if his special talent was a gift or a trap according to his father. This story shows the struggles pioneers had to suffer as they settled further West. This is the story of Amos Kincaid, the dowser’s son. Amos’ father made his way west to Missouri. He made his money dowsing wells for farmers along the way. In the Fall of 1833 he was paid with a small plot of land. So he stayed the Winter. He marries a young girl Delilah who loved the animals (especially birds) of the woods. Each Spring Jake took off trapping to earn some money for trading because he thought his talent for dowsing was a trap. In 1834 he returned to find himself a widow with a healthy son (Amos). Realizing he can’t raise the boy by himself, he heads for Pretty Water and his older brother Gil and his wife, Rebecca. Rebbecca takes Amos like her own son and teaches him in the little mission school she has started. Jake returns to his trapping ways for many years.
In time Rebecca dies of the smallpox epidemic and Jake marries an Indian squaw.
Jake retrieves his son and returns to Bittersweet Creek only to find Daisy, Delilah’s younger sister, living in the cabin Homer. It was the time period where everyone was thinking of moving west to seek better land. It was no different for the two families. They moved west and joined a wagon train. It was the daily life and hardships that turn a boy into a man and unite individuals into a family.

The author has written a very insightful historic novel that portrays the feelings and thoughts of young folk during a time period in our nation’s history. Readers will be able to read and appreciate the lack of conveniences currently available to young people today. The readers will also gain an understanding of wagon train hazards and the joys of surviving the trail.
This is a well written book that is recommended as a Books of Note. It would be an excellent addition to any secondary school library. McNeil, Linda Frontier Life

Lewis and Clark: exploring the American West.

Robinson, Kate. Lewis and Clark: exploring the American West.
Enslow 2010 112p 31.93
Great Explorers of the World (Enslow)
978-1-59845-124-5 ms E-BNS
A complete look at the Lewis and Clark Expedition including the early lives of the two leaders, the expedition, and the impact on the United States and on Native Americans. This complete look at the Lewis and Clark Expedition begins with an episode from the middle of the trip when Lewis encountered several of the local wildlife. It then goes back to some background on the Westward Expansion and the lives of the the two men who would later lead the expedition. Both men were proven military leaders. On the day that France sold the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis started choosing volunteers for the Corps of Discovery. Much detail is included about the boats used, the obstacles overcome, discoveries made, Indian tribes they met, and occurrences along the the way. Whereas Lewis and Clark were in error in some of the assumptions they made about the Native Americans they encountered, their notes, journals and reports are the most extensive compilation of the nearly fifty tribes of the upper Missouri and Pacific Northwest that they met. The journals also record an immense amount of information on the land, flora and fauna of the area. These journals are frequently quoted in this text.
The lively text is enhanced with paintings, drawings and photographs. Extensive chapter notes are provided, along with a timeline, glossary, bibliography and index. Theal, Joan

Howard, Ellen. The Crimson Cap.

Howard, Ellen. The Crimson Cap.
Holiday House 2009 197p 16.95 978-0-8234-2152-7 ms/jr Eleven-year-old Pierre Talon leaves his family to join LaSalle’s expedition to find the mouth of the Mississippi River. Because he cannot refuse the honor, he heads into an adventure that will change the lives of many and give readers an insight into the hardships of settling our New World. Pierre Talon was responsible for his mother and sisters since his father disappeared. They were part of LaSalle’s expedition, funded by Louis XIV of France to settle the New world in France’s name. The expedition suffered many setbacks when they lost their ships and couldn’t find the mouth of the Mississippi River. The remainder of the expedition set up a settlement but they were stressed by illness and Indian attacks. Pierre fills the gap as provider for his mother and siblings when their father disappears. As a 10 year old he finds that he has a way of communicating with the Indians and other s. This is why he is so valuable to LaSalle when he takes off in search of help for the settlement. Pierre’s mother dresses him in some of his father’s clothes. Of which was a red wool cap that he will keep throughout the story. The group struggle not only with the harshness of the land but also the power struggle between the men. LaSalle is murdered and many of the men scatter. Pierre falls deathly sick and is taken in by the friendly Hasinai Indians. In time Pierre, with his Indian friends, returns to the settlement only to find devastation. He then set out on another endeavor to find his missing siblings who have been taken captive by a group of Indians. The red cap that Pierre has cherished throughout his travels serves him well when it is the one thing that allows his siblings to recognize him as their brother. It is a story of hardship and self enlightenment for someone growing up during the period of exploring the New World. McNeil, Linda

Deseve, Peter. Crows & Cards.

Deseve, Peter. Crows & Cards.
Houghton Mifflin/Clarion/Graphia/Kingfisher 2009 344p 16.00 978-0-618-88395-0 ms/jr

In 1849, Zeb’s parents ship him off to St. Louis to apprentice with a tanner. Life presents many obstacles for Zeb. He ends up being apprenticed to a gambler and befriended by an Indian and slave. In 1849, Zeb’s parents ship him off to St. Louis to apprentice with a tanner. Life on the shores of the Mississippi presents many obstacles for Zeb. He eventually ends up being apprenticed to a gambler and befriended by an Indian and slave.
The well written and exciting story provides the reader with a good understanding of life on the Mississippi during the expansion of the West. It also shows how young folks just starting out in the world need guidance because they find it hard to make correct choices. Zeb found himself in a situation where he felt cheating was not right even though his mentor was smooth talking when he explained the benefits of relieving men of their wealth.
It is a story where Zeb learns that doing the right thing is the right thing to do. LM