Your Travel Guide to America's Old West (Passport to History) [Hardcover]

Rita J. Markel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-An intriguing way to pique kids' interest in American history. This book reads like any travel guide: where to visit, what to wear, what to eat, where to stay, local customs, where to buy souvenirs, etc., but the contents tell about life in America west of the Mississippi roughly between 1800 and 1900. Thus, the section "Which Cities to Visit" provides snapshots of Salt Lake City, San Antonio, and San Francisco, among others, explaining their importance in the history of the West, who settled there, etc. "Money Matters" discusses the different kinds of coins used as well as bartering; other sorts of currency such as hides or shells; and the salaries of farm workers, soldiers, and cowboys. A sidebar gives the prices for letter delivery via the Pony Express, a pound of cheese, and a pair of moccasins. The writing is lively; in discussing a sea voyage around Cape Horn to get to the gold fields, Markel writes, "Most passengers get seasick. Don't slip on the vomit. It's everywhere." Sidebars such as "Hot Hints," "Tech Talk," and "Back to the Future" provide more interesting facts. Period photos and quotations add to the picture of life in the West. This book is attractive and fascinating, with information that kids won't find elsewhere.-Sally Bates Goodroe, formerly at Harris County Public Library, Houston, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Reviewed with Markel's Your Travel Guide to Ancient Rome.

Gr. 4-6. Markel takes on the role of armchair guide, dispatching kids on self-directed tours of the past, using a mix of historical snippets and jaunty observations on typical dress, diet, hazards, and accepted behavior. Cribbing rubrics from modern travel guides, she discusses "Money Matters," "Where to Stay," "How to Stay Safe and Healthy," and more. Despite the light tone, she is frank about such issues as race relations and slavery in both cultures. Each volume includes lively side comments, a recipe ("Brain and Bacon Stew" in Ancient Rome), biographical notes on a handful of prominent individuals, and a generous list of further resources. America's Old West is illustrated on nearly every page with a telling, sometimes hilarious, old photo, painting, or print; in Ancient Rome, a mix of modern color photos, reconstructed scenes, and close-ups of artifacts impart a clear sense of public and private life. Though these entries in the Passport to History series are neither detailed nor systematic enough to be sole sources of report information, they are sufficiently rich in facts and images to be popular choices for both assignment-driven reading and private inquiry. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822530740
• ISBN-13: 978-0822530749
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #542,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll soon be there!, March 6, 2004

By 

"sbcee" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Travel Guide to America's Old West (Passport to History) (Hardcover)

Part of a series which takes children back through history to previous time periods, this book by Rita Markel is most enjoyable and very informative. The layout is very pleasing - the background color and texture to each page is reminiscent of old documents, there are interesting photos, as well as pictures of items mentioned in the text. I especially liked the side bars which include trivia, safety tips, things not to be missed etc. The book is written in the present tense and advises the reader on a wealth of necessary information to help decide where to go and what to see in America's old west. Ms. Markel tells it like it is (for you feel you are going to be there very soon). It is clearly a very well-researched book, but it's never boring, and one can gallop along at a good pace. There are all kinds of fascinating tidbits in this book eg. nitroglycerin used for blasting railroad tunnels was known as "bang juice"; women were allowed to vote, hold political office and serve on juries in Wyoming from 1869. There is also lots of diversity in this book, with plenty of references to Native American and African American culture, as well as Mexican and Chinese contributions to the old west. Women's issues are also frequently mentioned. The book talks about how to get around, money, local customs, what to wear, where to stay, and what to eat. At the end is a nice clear timeline, a glossary and pronunciation guide. As a teacher, I would recommend this book to students and parents (upper elementary, lower middle school) as a great place to go and get a genuine feel what the old west is/was like!