Customer Reviews

My Name Is America: The Journal Of Joshua Loper, A Black Cowboy

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This story is based after the civil war. Joshua and Doom are the only black people on the herd. They start out in the very back at drags but joshua moves to the front when one man slips up. There are some you could say sad parts like when joshuas horse dies but there are some good parts like when he is asked to go on another trail from texas to oregon.

I read all of this MY NAME IS AMERICA book. But like some of the other books in this series, it lacked excitement, suspense, and was not entirely accurate. I did not feel that the book was written by a 16 yr. old cowboy, though it kept my interest and gives children a feeling of what it was like to live in the 19th century. Much better and more accurate historical novels are THE JOURNEY OF LEROY JONES, A FUGITIVE SLAVE and THE DIARY OF A SLAVE GIRL, RUBY JO.

Wow! If you're looking for a Wild West book, this is the one. I'm sure you'll love how the story leads off, and how it ends. This story begins when a teenager reaches the age to go on a cattle trip, and is totally psyched, but did not know what was In store for him. What he learns is
Simple;
1.AIM BEFORE YOU SHOOT 2.HOW TO ROPE A CATTLE.
This is also a very touching, and emotional story, but Joshua puts it together perfectly. The part in this story that I liked the most was when they reached a town called; Abilence. Abilence is a rough town where you're sure to get in a fight ,and you wont be disappointed! Joshua goes through some rough times but makes it through the whole trip. I give this book a 5 out of 5.
Jeremy Snowden.

Joshua Loper and seven others are driving a herd. Joshua is pushed harder by the captain of the drive because of his race.In the end Joshua is one of the best known herders and in the end gets paid the most money because of his hardwork. The captain and Joshua have more respect for one another at the end of their trip.
I have two opinions about the book good opinion it is very discriptive well written, exciting, and enjoyable. Another opinion is the rambledon and on about things I thought were less interesting to me

I enjoy reading books of this time in our history. It is a good read and young children 10 - 13 I think would enjoy it, buying these books for my grandchildren.

Judy L.

This is a story about an adventurous 16 year old boy. He is a boy who wants to have more adventure. A coincidence was that he got to go on the Chisholm Trail. He worked as a cowboy. The Chisholm Trail is from Texas to Abilene,Kansas. Once a boy goes on the trail he become a man. What will the hardships be for Joshua? To find out you should read this book.

I bought "The Journal of Joshua Loper" hoping to read a true account of a cowboy. I did not have to reach page 158 to notice that the "journal is a work of fiction." While the library research was quite extensive, he missed the realities and language of the culture. No normal, free young man in a ranching environment would still be fumbling with a rope at 16. He would have a good handle on it by age 11.

I cannot imagine a South Texas cowboy of that era calling men "guys", black people "colored" and horses "animals". These terms are more midwestern, perhaps more educated than was common among the people of that time.

Finally within a week of Austin he has blacks picking cotton in May. Cotton might be picked in August, but even in Texas, cotton takes a while to mature after it is planted.

The one thing that saves this book is the humor. Otherwise, it is the college description of a description. For the real thing read the real thing, or better yet, do it.

This was a good My Name is America book. Joshua is sixteen and he and his mother live and work on a ranch in 1871. His father is trying to find work somewhere else so they can all live together. Joshua is offered a job on a cattle drive so he takes it. The work is hard but he is proud to earn money for his mother. He keeps a journal thats tells what happens to him on the cattle drive. This was a good book