Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake) | J FICTION MY | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | J FICTION MY | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | J FICTION MY | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
Orphaned after losing his parents in a rafting accident, Jedediah Barstow must find the courage to follow his family's dream westward along the Oregon Trail.
Having lost his parents and younger sister when they tried to ford a river along the Oregon Trail, Jedediah Barstow decides to make his way to the Oregon Territory on his own. He is "adopted" by the Henshaw family, who allow him to travel in their wagon in exchange for his help with the daily maintenance work along the way. Jedediah's adventures, along with the friends he makes and the lessons he learns, make for an unforgettable story of a brave young boy who sets off to discover a wild, new world.
Author Notes
Ellen Levine was born in New York City on March 9, 1939. She received a master's degree in political science from the University of Chicago and a law degree from New York University School of Law. She was an attorney for a public-interest law group, a documentary filmmaker, and taught courses in writing for children and young adults in Vermont College's MFA program.
She wrote numerous books for children and young adults during her lifetime including Darkness Over Denmark, I Hate English, Freedom's Children: Young Civil Rights Activists Tell Their Stories, Rachel Carson: A Twentieth-Century Life, and Henry's Freedom Box. She died from lung cancer on May 26, 2012 at the age of 73.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-A 13-year-old records the day-to-day struggles of the members of a wagon train traveling from Independence, MO, to Oregon. The story begins about two weeks after Jedediah's family drowned trying to cross the Kaw River and ends when the company is a few days' journey from Oregon City. Along the way, the boy records the effort to cross plains, ford rivers, and climb mountains; he tells of encounters with animals and Native Americans; and he describes the personality quirks of fellow travelers. Readers will care about the characters and root for them from first page to last, but an epilogue chronicling their lives after the story's close may confuse some into thinking that these were real people. Back matter includes historical notes and black-and-white photographs of wagons and pioneers on the trail. This is a useful book for social-studies units, especially when paired with Kristiana Gregory's Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie (1997) and Levine's If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon (1992, both Scholastic).-Jean Lowery, Bishop Woods Elementary School, New Haven, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
After his parents and sister drown crossing the Kaw River, thirteen-year-old Jedediah elects to remain with their wagon train group traveling westward. In this well-written book, Jedediah's diary entries record the hazards of the journey as well as moments of personal growth when he confronts his own prejudices. An afterword, illustrated with reproductions, places events within historical context. From HORN BOOK Fall 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Thirteen-year-old Jedediah Barstow has just been orphaned during a crossing of the Kaw River. Without a family, he is forced to depend on the generosity of the other pioneers and on his own substantial inner resources. Writing in journal format, Levine (Darkness over Denmark, 1999, etc.) has resolved some of the constraints of the form to tell a gripping, funny, and memorable story of one boy's adventure to Oregon. Readers who are unfamiliar with the details of life on the road will be fascinated by Jedediah's observations: how butter was made, the many uses of buffalo chips, how to divert stampeding buffalo, burial techniques, the myriad decisions the travelers had to make every day, and the various dangers posed by rivers, wildlife, and mountains. Levine, through Jed's well-defined voice, tells a memorable story, filled with the humor, sorrow, and excitement. The journal feels real because Levine leaves in some mistakes in grammar and has Jed comment on his difficulty with language. Poignant "mistakes" remind the reader that Jed is a boy who is slowly recovering from a trauma. (When Jed meets a little girl who is the age of his deceased sister, he accidentally calls the girl "Sally," then crosses out his sister's name to write "Bekka.") But this fictional journal is much more than a vehicle for Levine's research. Underlying the details of daily life on the trail is the story of Jed, the grieving orphan. Thrust into adulthood by unspeakable loss, Jed learns what it means to be a grown-up as he observes the various men and women on the Trail. Cruel Mr. Henshaw, with his worsening temper and alcoholism, allows young Jed to join his family as a servant. Jacob Fenster, an intelligent and thoughtful Jewish man, comes to Jed's rescue many times and forces the young man to reflect on his own religious prejudices. Fix-it man Mr. Littleton hires Jed and teaches him how to fix the many things that break each day, from wagon wheels to personal relationships to false teeth. Jedediah Barstow is an unforgettable character in this fine story of bravery, grief, friendship, and community. (historical note) (Fiction. 10-14)
Booklist Review
Gr. 4^-7. Jedediah's mother is keeping a journal of their family's grand adventure to Oregon to share with future generations. Then she and Jedediah's father and sister drown while crossing the Kaw River in a thunderstorm. Hearing his mother's voice admonishing him to "stop avoiding," Jedediah takes over the journal. Beginning with the account of the tragic river crossing, he carefully records the challenges and hardships of the Oregon Trail. Filled with nicely drawn details of the beautiful but sometimes treacherous land, the dangers from rattlesnakes and disease, and the conflicts between his fellow travelers, Jedediah's story shows the Oregon Trail through the eyes and emotions of a young person who perseveres despite a tragic loss. Like other titles in the My Name Is America series, this solid adventure story closes with historical notes and photographs. --Karen Hutt
