West to a Land of Plenty: The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscardi, New York to Idaho Territory, 1883 (Dear America) [Hardcover]

Jim Murphy (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Series: Dear America

The first humorous book in the Dear America series follows an Italian girl's immigrant family as they move from New York City to a utopian community in the frontier West.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-8--Italian-American Teresa Viscardi and her family travel to the Idaho Territory along with a number of other Easterners to settle in a town aptly named Opportunity. Her diary begins on the train that will take them to the Dakota Territory where they must then buy wagons, oxen, and horses to transport them across the rugged landscape. Teresa struggles to understand her father's decision to move thousands of miles from the home she loves, admires her mother's strength and courage, and accepts her younger sister Netta's persistence in reading and writing in her diary. After suffering through sickness, the presence of Indians, her father's sudden silver fever, and Netta's subsequent death, Teresa finds solace and comfort in her family's ability to stay together. Reminiscent of a Willa Cather heroine, the girl is resourceful, strong-minded, and intelligent. Her coming-of-age is complete after she saves herself and her grandmother from thieves. Engaging, colorful characters abound. Teresa's last entry, in the epilogue dated 1952, speaks of the woman's contentment with her life and the peace she feels. It is addressed to Netta, Teresa's way of keeping her sister's memory alive. Excellent archival photos and notes enhance the presentation of this historical novel.

Janet Gillen, Great Neck Public Library, NY

Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590738887
• ISBN-13: 978-0590738880
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #735,604 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jim Murphy began his career in children's books as an editor, but managed to escape to become a writer, entering a life of personal and creative happiness and enduring financial uncertainty. He's convinced that the latter keeps him coming back to his computer to write every day and feels that a sense of impending doom is the doorway to creativity. He has never counted the number of books he's published (feeling the time and energy is better spent doing research and writing) but guesses that he has over thirty books to his credit. Jim's work has been honored with numerous awards, including two American Llibrary Association Newbery Honor Book Awards, an ALA Robert F. Sibert Award and Sibert Honor Book Award, three National Council of Teachers of English Orbis Pictus Awards, a Boston Globe/Horn Book Award and a BG/HB Honor Book Award, two SCBWI Golden Kite Awards, and been a finalist for the National Book Award. Recently, he was given the ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award for "his significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A girl and her family head west in 1883., August 4, 2000

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: West to a Land of Plenty: The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscardi, New York to Idaho Territory, 1883 (Dear America) (Hardcover)

In the spring of 1883, fourteen-year-old Teresa Viscardi and her large Italian-American family, which includes her, her younger brother and sister, her parents, her aunt, uncle, cousin, and grandmother, leave their home in New York City and decide to head west to Idaho to participate in the founding of a utopian community. The community is to be called Opportunity, but Teresa isn't of the feeling that the west is filled with opportunity. She wants to return to New York City, where her friends and home are. Instead, she's stuck, first on a crowded train, and then on a covered wagon caravan, with her annoying family, of which her grandmother and sister are the most annoying. Nanna is stubbornly traditional, and pesky Netta reads Teresa's private diary. But when tragedy strikes, Teresa realizes how much her family means to her, and she may be the only one who can save them from disaster. I highly reccomend this excellant addition to the Dear America series. It's a great read if you like historical fiction, stories about pioneer life, or the other books in the series.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of My Favorites, February 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: West to a Land of Plenty: The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscardi, New York to Idaho Territory, 1883 (Dear America) (Hardcover)

Though this wasn't really a historical event, something may of happened like this. The writer mentions that between 1870-1900 was when most communities were being born, so that's the main idea of the story. This is about Teresa Angelino Viscardi, a 14 year old Italian Immigrant. She travels with her large family on a train and by wagon all the way to Idaho territory. But the journey is not easy. It is FAR from easy. They cross a river and two girl's from another wagon drown. Then the saddest thing happens! But you have to read it of course. This diary was so well written I kept thinking that Teresa and Netta, her little sister, who you come to love, were real. This is another powerfully emotionaly and exciting, and truthful Dear America Diary. Keep up the good work Dear America writers! We can't wait for more. Even though this book is sad, you MUST READ IT! Sniffle, sniffle, sob, sob. :(But most of the journey was :)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting "Dear America" book!, December 6, 2000

By 

Melanie (Iowa, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: West to a Land of Plenty: The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscardi, New York to Idaho Territory, 1883 (Dear America) (Hardcover)

"West to a Land of Plenty" was a great book, in an 1880's diary form, on a 14 year-old Italian American girl, Teresa.

Teresa lives in a crowded, New York neighborhood with her family, when her father suddenly decides to take the family west, to a new community called Opportunity. With that decision, Teresa's changes just begin!

Going west by train and wagon is exciting to Teresa, but she is also very sad to leave her school and friends. Her pesky little sister, Netta, also gets on her nerves, and Teresa constantly tries to hide her diary from her! When Teresa begins to make friends, however, she finds that things might not be so bad, but then disaster strikes...

This was a great book, and a must read for anyone aged 10 and up! Be sure to also read "Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie", and "The Great Railroad Race", two other "Dear America" novels.