La Tarde de Los Elfos [School & Library Binding]

Janet Taylor Lisle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1995 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

When a disaster claims the men of their wagon train, spunky twelve-year-old Phoebe, her mother, sister, and other women rely on their own resources to complete the journey to Oregon in 1845.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Petticoat Party series rolls out creakily with this lumbering tale of a wagon train that leaves Independence, Mo., in the winter of 1845, bound for the Oregon Country. In one of the 12 wagons rides the Brown family, spurred on by the promise of free land and suitable husbands for daughters Amelia and Phoebe. In an often stilted narration apparently attempting to mimic the parlance of the period, 12-year-old Phoebe tells how the party's 10 menfolk all tumble off a steep bluff while hunting buffalo. Six die and four are seriously injured, including Mr. Brown, whose character is reduced to a voice growling from the back of a wagon. Addressing the other women, Phoebe's mother announces it is time to "take charge of our own destinies." And indeed they do, under the direction of a spinster schoolmarm who pulls off such unlikely feats as fetching two ludicrously vacuous twins from a Pawnee camp after they run away from the wagon party to marry two would-be braves. Unfortunately, Karr's (Oh, Those Harper Girls!) pioneers have covered but 650 miles when they arrive at Fort Laramie at the close of this episode; a long 1400 remain till they reach their destination. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6?A light, entertaining tale of adventure on the trail to Oregon in 1845, related by 12-year-old Phoebe Brown. The females of this wagon train are for the most part reluctant pioneers; their husbands and fathers are the moving force behind the journey. These men aren't terribly bright, and in their effort to save money, they commit a series of increasingly serious blunders that culminates in a buffalo stampede that leaves most of them dead. With the three survivors critically injured, the women take charge. Led by an intelligent and intrepid teacher, the wagon train continues on. This may sound rather grim, but the story is actually very amusing, if utterly predictable. Laura Ingalls Wilder is in no danger of being supplanted, but readers who like humor woven into their historical fiction are sure to enjoy it. Unfortunately, the dust jacket is unattractive.?Elizabeth Mellett, Brookline Public Library, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• School & Library Binding
• Publisher: San Val (August 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613098684
• ISBN-13: 978-0613098687
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,773,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, June 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Go West, Young Women! (Petticoat Party) (Paperback)

This first book in the Petticoat Party series was great. It is about a wagon train of strong, independent women. All the men are dead or injured so the women try to get to Oregon on their own. This book was funny, too.

3.0 out of 5 stars Go West Young Women, December 19, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: La Tarde de Los Elfos (School & Library Binding)

Go West Young Women is about a family that goes on a trip through the West and the have the same thing to eat day after day, and they are sick of it. Phoebe is starting to get sick of her dad and they keep arguing. They have to keep track of the cattle and a stampede begins and they want to keep going but don't know if they should! My opinion on this book was that it was a little boring and the writing was hard to read sometimes. I wouldn't recommend this to an eighth grader because I think it would be more of a fifth grade book. The reader that likes adventure through the country will enjoy this book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Go West, Young Women, August 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: La Tarde de Los Elfos (School & Library Binding)

This book is an fascinating and colorful look at crossing the plains from a girl's perspective. It is very entertaining, and Phoebe is an interesting and engaging main character. We really get to know how she feels and thinks. Boys may not find the book quite as enjoyable; there aren't any sympathetic male characters, and most of the women don't seem to fond of men in general. This is a good book to get the favor of the early westward movement.