How We Crossed The West: The Adventures Of Lewis And Clark [Paperback]

Rosalyn Schanzer (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Lewis & Clark Expedition

The book begins with the letter to Clark proposing a "trip to explore those western rivers which may run all the way across North America to the western ocean" and Clark's reply "to cheerfully join you in this rewarding endeavor." From there, every stage of the journey is shown - from the building of the ships the crew would use, the choosing of the crew itself, and the farewell from St. Louis on May 14, 1804 to meetings with friendly and unfriendly Indian tribes, discovering a wealth of previously unknown plants and animals, bouts with fleas and fever, a miserable climb through the Bitterroot Mountains, and finally the much-longed-for view of the Pacific Ocean. The text is taken directly from the journals of Lewis and Clark, which makes it excellent primary source material. In addition, every page is filled with illustrations in a charming folk-art style that bring the scenes to life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a starred review, PW wrote, "Schanzer ferrets out the kind of details that make for an intelligent and lively rendition of the famous trek. A must-have for anyone with an interest in American history." Ages 8-12.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

A simplified version of the diaries of Lewis and Clark; in an introduction, Schanzer explains how she condensed much of the excitement and adventure of the 40 volumes into this one. The book follows the route mapped out on the end papers, beginning with President Jefferson's request that the two explore the west, and ending when Lewis and Clark return two years later to St. Charles (near St. Louis), long after everyone thought they'd died. In that time the two men discovered many new animals and plants, met with Indian tribes, and created new maps of the uncharted territories. Schanzer often breaks up the page into a series of vignettes with captions, effectively covering many of their experiences in a small space. Her drawings include portraits of the members of the expedition and other details that make an already authentic text all the richer. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-10) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792267265
• ISBN-13: 978-0792267263
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 0.2 x 10.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #97,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Writing > Travel
  • #8 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Essays & Travelogues
  • #10 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Exploration & Discovery

More About the Author

Author/Illustrator Rosalyn Schanzer's book Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem (National Geographic) is the winner of the Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators for Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2011 and has also received a 2012 Robert F. Sibert Honor Award as one of the year's 5 most distinguished informational books for children. Other awards for this book include:

Starred Review from School Library Journal
SLJ Best Book of the Year
NY Public Library's 25 best Nonfiction Titles of 2011
New York Times Best Books of 2011
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
Fuse #8 list of 100 Magnificent Children's Books of 2011
Kid Lit Frenzy top 5 Middle Grade Picks of 2011

Schanzer has written and illustrated 16 award-winning books for young people. A world traveler, nationally ranked Masters swimmer, avid photographer, and chocolate connoisseur, she lives in Fairfax Station Virginia with her husband in a house surrounded by birds. You can visit her website at www.rosalynschanzer.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Children's Book!, May 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How We Crossed the West (Hardcover)

My son (4th grade)recently did a report on William Clark. He used several resources but kept coming back to this one. The day after he completed his project I sat down to read the book myself - what a treat! I think the information is so interesting - much of it taken from the actual journals of Lewis, Clark and the Corp of Explorers! The illustrations are a great compliment to the story being retold! Because the copy he was using was from the public library I am ordering one for us to keep. I look forward to finding more books by Schanzer - I hope all of her books are as well written and illustrated!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Primary Source" of Information, April 1, 2002

By 

"grammabobbi" (Rexburg, ID United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How We Crossed the West (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent example of a primary source of information. I originally bought the book because I believed it would be a good resource for teaching about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, but after I got it and realized the text was created from journal entries made by Lewis, Clark and others, I was truly excited to be teaching from this book. There is just enough text per page so as not to be overwhelming to elementary students and the illustrations are gorgeous.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific History, April 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How We Crossed the West (Hardcover)

The book about Lewis and Clark's journey written and illustrated by Roz Schanzer is terrific. The children that I teach at Schiel Primary School love not only hearing the story, but also love the fabulous illustrations. Roz Schanzer is truly a gifted author and illustrator. I hope to see more work from her in the future.