Customer Reviews

Rachel's Journal: The Story of a Pioneer Girl

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
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Moss brings to this book a thoroughly delightful 'hand written' format along with marginal and textual illustrations to dramatize the effect that it is the actual journal of Rachel, a young girl who records her thoughts and observations along the trail. This book should be on the shelves of any family whose proud heritage goes back to those who ventured West to take up roots in the Great American frontier of the nineteenth century. Moss draws her readers into an excitement filled, seven month journey along the famed Oregon trail. The subject has enormous appeal to a wide range of young readers, especially when we approach the years 2004 - 2006, the 200th anniversary of the famed corps of discovery, which started the Westward movement.
Such a book would be a keepsake to pass on to succeeding generations, who often times fail to completely grasp the hardships ancestors had to endure so that they could have a more comfortable life. Part of the author's extensive research included examinations of the unpublished journals collection, covering the years 1846 through 1868, forming part of the collection of Bancroft Library at the University of California at Berkeley.
She succeeded admirably in accomplishing her goal to weave in documented episodes of travel and its dangers along the famed Oregon trail. And others will surely get the flavor of the pioneer spirit within the pages of this truly wonderful keepsake.

This book was quite interesting. It is a story of a young girl, Rachel who is traveling by covered wagon from Illinois to California with her family in the 1850's. She keeps a journal/scrapbook of their adventures/disasters. Her illustrations or "doodles" in this journal were very well done. They clearly defined a great deal of what life was like for any family back then and the courage that they had in order to seek what they thought was going to "better" their way of living.

Just like Marissa Moss' "Amelia" books, this was a hand-written, journal-style book, with lots of pictures. It is the journal of ten-year-old Rachel, who travels with her family of pioneers from Illinois to California in search of a better place to live. In her journal, she records the trip and there are many details! It has humor thrown in, great pictures, and a nice journal format. I've enjoyed reading this book, and I can't wait to read all of Marissa Moss' other historical journals.

Though this book is meant to be an aid in the classroom, I found it highly enjoyable even for the casual reader. It informs while entertaining. By using the medium of a girl's diary, the author is able to show facets of pioneer life not often brought out. This book is well worth the price, both as a fun read and as a useful reference.

I think that kids of all ages should read this book, it is really good. She draws all over the pages and makes doodles. Now that I have read this book I want to make a journal when I go on our Christmas Vacation. Also read Amelia's Notebook (it is funnier), it is by the same author Marissa Moss.

This book was interesting. It was the journal and scrapbook of a ten year old girl travelling by covered wagon from Illinois to California with her parents and brothers in 1850. Rachel has many adventures on the trail and records them all in her journal. This book could have been a bit longer, but other then that it was very good. I can't wait to read the next book in this series, Emma's Journal, about a Colonial girl caught up in the Revolutionary War in Boston.

I teach 5th grade and this book was loved by all my students. I read it during Readers Workshop to tie in our study - Life on the Plains - in Social Studies. It was great visualization because there are few pictures but bold vocabulary. It is a long book with lots of info. It took a long time to read but my kids enjoyed it and learned a lot in a fun way.

This is the story of ten year old Rachel traveling with her family from Illinois to California. She keeps a journal that is more of a scrapbook of their adventures and disasters along the way. Rachel puts in pictures of things that she doesn't want to forget making this book all the more enjoyable. The ending is abrupt but the rest of the story puts you right there with her family.

I purchased a classroom set of these books to share with my fourth grade students as we learned about Westward Expansion and the Oregon Trail. We read this during Guided Reading and my students created their own Oregon Trail Journal's during Writer's Workshop. Rachel's Journal gave them a perspective that they didn't have before we read the books and the journals that they created were amazing!!! I even e-mail the author and she e-mailed me back. These are great books to help tie in your social studies curriculum to your reading curriculum. These are a must have in your classroom if you study Westward Expansion and the Oregon Trail. I'm going to also add Emma's Journal: The Story of a Colonial Girl to my classroom this next year.

This is a fictional book, yet it is based on the experiences of real women and real children's perspective as they travel westward.

The author compiled information from many sources of the time, including journals, diaries and pioneer guidebooks. She noted that the viewpoint held by women/children was much different from that of the men who made these journeys.

All of the major incidents the young girl, Rachel, records are factual, taken from the voices of many young ones journals. Marissa Moss found that these pioneers' journals reflected an eagerness, actually a great will to cross this land to a better life. Their spirit was amazing, given what they could possible face as they traveled, and yet a sense of adventure prevailed throughout their journeys.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves the romance of western lore. If you find the draw of the western era appealing, you'll love this book.