Westward to Home: Joshua's Diary, The Oregon Trail, 1848 (My America) [Hardcover]

Patricia Hermes (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Series: My America

In book one of this diary of life on the Oregon Trail, Pat Hermes tells the story of Joshua McCullough's family's experiences as they pack up their belongings and head west in a wagon train.

It is 1848 when Joshua McCullough and his family leave their home in St. Joseph, Missouri, and set off for Oregon on a wagon train. During their seven-month-long journey, many of the other families on the trail suffer devastating losses, but Joshua's is spared. However, Joshua must conquer his fear of water during the many river crossings the wagon train must make. During one dramatic crossing, Joshua heroically dives into a rushing river to save his younger sister Becky. The battered wagon train reaches Oregon after traveling over two thousand miles.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. Through the 1848 journal of nine-year-old Joshua McCullough, readers come face-to-face with the rigors of the wagon-train trek from St. Joseph, Missouri, to the Oregon Territory. Joshua shares the daily routines of wagon train travel, making real the everyday annoyances as well as the life-threatening dangers that are part of the trip. Washing away trail dust that cakes animals' eyes shut, pitching in to replace another family's possessions that spilled into a river, burying those who die along the way from illness or wagon accidents are among the events recounted in Joshua's simply penned, yet compelling entries. This perceptive boy senses a mother's pain over the loss of her children on the trail and, despite others' mistrust and fear, observes, "Indians are a lot like the rest of us." This entry in the My America series will stick in readers' minds and enrich their studies of the era. Ellen Mandel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 107 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; 1 edition (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439112095
• ISBN-13: 978-0439112093
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #601,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patricia Hermes is the author of almost fifty books for readers from early middle grades through young adult, as well as two nonfiction books for adults. Her books have won many awards and recognitions: American Library Association Best Book, Smithsonian Notable Book, C.S. Lewis Honor Book, Ira Children's Choice, as well as many state awards, four of them for the novel,You Shouldn't Have to Say Goodbye.

As a lecturer and speaker at schools and libraries, she engages her audience with her lively presentations, underscoring key qualities of good writing, and, of course, good rewriting. (She has been known to revise her books ten times!) She has researched and written six historical novels in the Scholastic Dear America/My America series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A book about a boy, but is it a boy's book?, February 15, 2002

By 

Volkert Volkersz (Snohomish, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Westward to Home: Joshua's Diary, The Oregon Trail, 1848 (My America) (Hardcover)

We just added "Westward to Home" and several other "My America" books to our elementary school library, so it remains to be seen how popular this particular title will be.

Author Patricia Hermes does a fine job of telling the story of a nine-year old boy, through brief journal entries, about life on the Oregon Trail in 1848. While we get a kid's eye view of the hardships, the people, and some of the typical events associated with traveling west by covered wagon, I'm not convinced that this is a genuinely BOY'S book.

I have traveled along the Oregon Trail, from Independence, MO, to Walla Walla, WA, and I was once a boy. That makes me no expert, but I think a nine-year old kid on the Oregon Trail would be less interested in the interpersonal difficulties of the adults in the wagon train, and more fascinated with guns, never-before-seen animals such as pronghorns, prairie dogs, snakes, lizards, and buffalo, and some of the amazing landforms that come into view after a monotonous trek across the flat prairies.

There was a brief mention of Chimney Rock, which would be awe inspiring for any kid to see and muse about. And what about Register Rock where a kid would surely stop to scratch in his own name and read the signatures of those who had gone on before? One would think a boy would be more amazed at his first views of the Rockies. And even when Joshua is curious about the Indians he sees in the forts along the way, I'd expect him to be more fascinated with the way they looked and talked, what they wore, how they smelled and how they did things like eat and smoke. This could also be said for the soldiers and trappers he must've seen at these forts.

I also can't imagine a nine-year old boy spending so much time in his journal worrying about a girl who was "sweet" on him. Instead, I would like to have seen his male friendships developed a bit more fully.

Having said all this, I still think this book is a welcome addition to middle grade titles about the Oregon Trail. The overall picture of the life, people and hardships, including many tragic deaths, is realistic. I anticipate that more girls will be reading this than boys, but it fills a need at this level.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A young boy describes his journey west on the Oregon Trail., January 7, 2001

By 

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

This review is from: Westward to Home: Joshua's Diary, The Oregon Trail, 1848 (My America) (Hardcover)

Nine-year-old Joseph McCullough, who lives on a farm in St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1848, is excited when his parents announce that the family will be traveling west to Oregon. Unlike most settlers who head west, the McCulloughs are fortunate that many of their friends and family will also be making the journey. Still, nothing can prepare Joshua for the hardships he and his family will face on the journey. And when the time comes, can Joshua conquer his greatest fear to save someone in his family? This was an excellent historical novel for younger readers, especially those who enjoyed the other My America books.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great account about the Oregon Trail!, July 31, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Westward to Home: Joshua's Diary, The Oregon Trail, 1848 (My America) (Hardcover)

Joshua is excited when he is told that his family is going to be going to Oregon. Joshua is also fortunate because his aunt,uncle and cousins are also coming with him. The only thing he doesn't like is his grandfather isn't coming. However Joshua gets a surprise when his grandfather shows up unexpectantly and decides to come with them. Joshua stares at death many times as many people die in their wagon group. However Joshua also manages to have fun as every young boy should do as goes on a bufflo hunt. However when one of his family members gets into trouble crossing a river will Joshua be brave enough to save her? Will his family ever make it to Oregon safe and sound? This is a great book and I think anyone who is interested in the Oregon Trail should read this book!