Helpful+Books

= Helpful Books =

Here are some good books you can find in your school library. Begin your search for resource materials with Destiny Quest.



FICTION
Fiction is often based on fact. These books take you on journeys across the country. Have a nice trip!

• //The Buffalo Storm// by Katherine Applegate, 2007. Hattie and her parents join a wagon train headed along the Oregon Trail. With Hattie's grandmother left behind, Hattie must grow up a bit and learn to deal with life's changes on her own.

• //Prairie School// by Avi, 2001. When Noah arrives to live and learn with his Aunt Dora, the both learn plenty. Noah learns to read and his Aunt Dora gets a new view of life as she is pushed across the prairie in a wheelchair.

• //Land of the Buffalo Bones: The Diary of Mary Ann Elizabeth Rodgers, an English Girl in Minnesota// by Marion Dane Bauer, 2003. Mary Ann's widowed father moves her from England to Minnesota as one of eighty colonists in 1873. They struggle to get along in this rugged country.

• //The Ballad of Lucy Whipple,// by Karen Cushman, 1998. Gold rush fever strikes, and California Morning Whipple (who calls herself Lucy) must move with her mother from polished, comfortable Massachusetts to a rugged mining town in California.

•. //Bandit’s Moon// by Sid Fleischman, 2000. Twelve-year-old Annyrose is left behind when her older brother heads to California to find wealth in the gold fields. She gets surprising help on her journey to join him—help from a band of outlaws.

• //Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie// by Kristiana Gregory, 1997. In her diary, 13 year old Hattie records the life-changing events as she crosses the Great Plains on the Oregon Trail.

• //Apples to Oregon: Being the (slightly) True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Grapes, and Cherries (and Children) Across the Plains// by Deborah Hopkinson, 2004. A pioneer family carries fruit trees to Oregon in the mid-1800s. This is based on a true story.

• //Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog's Tale// by Laurie Myers, 2002. This is the story of Lewis and Clark as described by their dog Seaman.

• //Little House on the Prairie// by Laura Ingalls Wilder, 1953. The Ingalls family travels from the relative safety of Wisconsin to build a home of their own on the plains where they build a home, farm the land, and become part of the Prairie Community.

• //Dear Levi: Letters from the Overland Trail// by Elvira Woodhouse, 2000. This story is told in the form of letters that twelve-year-old Austin Ives writes to his younger brother as he travels from Pennsylvania to Oregon in 1851. There may be some great information in this book for the wagon-train journey

NONFICTION
These books contain the facts you'll need to learn about the western expansion of the United States.




 * Biographies: Title/Author/Date**

//York’s Adventures with Lewis and Clark//. Blumberg, Rhoda. 2004. York was William Clark's African American slave. He went on the expedition with Lewis and Clark, and participated in all the Corps's adventures. The writer did a lot of research to write this book, which is illustrated with black-and-white photos and drawings.

//Sacagawea//. Wallner, Rosemary. 2003. Sacagawea was a Shoshone who had been captured and raised with the Hidatsa. She was the guide, translator, and cook once the expedition headed into the Rocky Mountains. She even had a baby on the trip. Learn more about Sacagawea in this well-written biography.


 * Dewey Decimal Number/****Title/****Author/Date**

641.597 //Skillet Bread, Sourdough, and Vinegar Pie: Cooking in Pioneer Days//. Ichord, Loretta Frances. 2003. What did people eat when they were on the trail? This book gives you a look at the kind of food pioneers ate when traveling or working in the California gold fields. The book contains recipes and instructions for "classroom" cooking.

920 //Lewis and Clark.// Glaser, Jason. 2005. This is a brief biography of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The book explains the role the two played in the growth of the United States. The book also includes a timeline, fast facts, a glossary, and a list of books to read and Internet sites.

920 //I am Sacajawea, I am York//. Murphy, Claire Rudolf. 2005. Everyone has heard about Lewis and Clark, but what about Sacajawea and York. Sacajawea was the teenaged wife of a French fur trapper. She was Shoshone by birth, and an outstanding scout. She led the expedition through the Rocky Mountains to the West Coast. York, was Clark's slave and played an important role in the expedition. This book includes maps and a bibliography.

920 //Lewis and Clark//. Petrie, Kristin. 2007. Petrie introduces the reader to Lewis and Clark, their assignment, and their preparation for exploring the land west of the Missouri River. One of the //Explorers// series, this book covers from the early years of the explorers through their expedition and a discussion of the results. Look for glossaries and an index.

973.04 Kent, Deborah. //The Trail of Tears//, 2005. This is an easy-to-read book about the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears that resulted from the law. Kent talks about the Five Civilized Tribes and the effect the removal to Oklahoma had on those tribes. At the end of the book, you will find an index and suggestions for further reading.

975.004 Fradin, Dennis B. //The Trail of Tears.// New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2008. Geared more toward upper elementary and middle school readers, this version of the Trail of Tears deals with the event as one of the critical episodes in U.S. history. Fradin shows the social, economic, and politic policies that shaped the future. The book includes a glossary, a timeline, and a bibliography for students.

978 Bryant, Jill. //The Wagon Train.// Mankato, MN: Weigl Publishers, 2003. This real life story tells what it was like to be part of a wagon train. It covers planning and packing, daily life, the basic parts of a covered wagon, and what it was like cooking on the trail. The book includes first-person accounts of what the journey was really like. There is an index to make finding specific information easier.

978 Dean, Arlan. //The Santa Fe Trail: From Independence Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico.// New York: PowerkKids Press, 2003. The Santa Fe Trail was one of the main trails West. Although the route might seem easier because travelers did not have to cross the Rocky Mountain, the Santa Fe travelers faced plenty of hazards, including snakes, native war parties, and lack of water. This book is easy-to-read with high interest information.

978 Landau, Elaine. //The Oregon Trail.// New York: Children’s Press, 2006. The Oregon Trail brought its challenges and hardships to the thousands who headed West for a better life. This book brings the journey to life, from the decision to leave to packing to traveling and finally to arrival in Oregon. The information is supported by color illustrations, an index, a glossary, and color maps.

978.004 Kalman, Bobbie. //Nations of the Plains.// New York: Crabtree, 2001. This short book provides a quick view of fifteen different Plains Indian tribes. The content includes the Arapaho, Sioux, Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Paiute, among others. An index helps guide readers to the correct information.

Ask your school media specialist about these and other books available for you in the library! CLICK HERE to go to Online Databases. CLICK HERE to go to Online Educational Web Resources.