Sam M. reviewed on 9/13/2005 + 109 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Grade 4-7. A 13-year-old girl keeps a diary of her family's trip west on the Oregon Trail. She includes joys as well as sorrows, but there are many more of the latter. A woman steals from the other pioneers, children get lost, people die from eating poisonous plants and drown while crossing rivers. But Hattie's personal growth and the sense of community portrayed bring an optimistic note to the journey. Although competently written, the characters and plot in this "diary" are not fully developed. Still, the details of life on the trail will be fascinating to young readers, and teachers will find this title useful for social studies units. Back matter includes historical notes, black-and-white photographs of wagons and pioneers on the trail, a recipe for Johny Cake, the words and music for "Skip to My Lou," and maps of the route taken by the families.

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