Morley, Jacqueline. You Wouldn’t Want to be an American Pioneer! rev ed.

Morley, Jacqueline.  You Wouldn’t Want to be an American Pioneer!  rev ed. Scholastic/ Watts  34p            $21.75  978-0-531-27500-9         2013      ms           E-Bnes  series: You Wouldn't Want To Be  Nonfiction     

Comical illustrations support this children’s book about the journey westward over land.  Instead of painting the picture of an adventure which was worth the trip, the book describes the journey as it really was, fraught with hardship at every turn.  With visual aids that are uniquely humorous and educational, this book provides a look at the many obstacles facing the pioneer who wanted to venture west.  Other details include a look at the necessary equipment, the supportive role of animals, and the hardships faced by men, women and children who made the journey.  The timeline on the inside cover helps young readers establish a timeframe, and a map of the western trails shows the various routes that pioneers took to reach the western seaboard.  This book is as creative as a comic book with a glimpse at history thrown in!  The reader never feels inundated with information; instead, he or she enjoys a present-tense text that places him/her into an era of American history that is both adventurous and dangerous!  “Handy Hints” offers helpful advice along the way, but one of the best parts is the detail in each illustration.  Children will enjoy studying the visuals to see the facial expressions on both the animals and humans, to compare the text to the pictures, and to read the creative and often humorous dialogue.  Each two-page spread presents new information about topics like sandstorms, Indians, stampedes and mealtimes.  If the task of a social-studies teacher is to get children to enjoy reading and learning American history, this book provides the solution.  It is user-friendly, innovative and enjoyable!  The glossary and index are followed by the enumeration of a few of the factors that pushed Americans to venture west:  financial problems, epidemics, and the Civil War.  The contributions of top American pioneers are summarized, and some trivia about various trails concludes the volume.
American history-Westward expansion.                                                              --Martha Squaresky

 

Behind the Masks: The Diary of Angeline Reddy (Dear America)

Patron, Susan   Behind the Masks: The Diary of Angeline Reddy (Dear America) Scholastic/Grolier/Childrens Press/Watts 2012      293p  $12.99      978-0-545-30437-5 ms     VG     Historical fiction     

Part of the Dear America series, this novel incorporates the real history of Bodie, a California mining town of the 1880s, and some of its actual inhabitants into its plot.  Patron tells the story of Angeline Reddy, daughter of the town’s preeminent lawyer, who is informed that her father had been murdered.   Neither she nor her mother believes it.  Angeline is determined to discover what really happened to her father, and she enlists the help of her friends Eleanor and Ling Loi to solve the mystery.  The daily life of a Wild West mining town is carefully depicted in all of its "glory", from ordinary school days to the saloon brawls, the wild miners, the vigilantes and corrupt lawmen, the narrow-minded social mores, the houses of prostitution, and the Chinese community that is relegated to the outskirts of town.  There is also a subplot involving a ghost child.  Well-written and exciting, the book ends with a description of life in the actual town of Bodie during the time of the novel, mini-discussions of the real Reddy family and others, the place of the Chinese people in the West, and black-and-white period photographs of the town and its inhabitants.  It will be a very good supplement to classroom studies.

The Dear America series presents historical fiction that incorporates real people, places, and events into its stories.  They are very good supplements to the social studies curriculum and classroom studies.   

VG    Susan Ogintz      Frontier and pioneer life

 

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