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Westward
Expansion
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Westward
Expansion
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The books that follow are varied in level and content. Some are suitable for young readers to enjoy independently, some for families to share, and other for teachers or parents to expand their own knowledge of the topics. Check back often, as we'll be adding items to the list throughout the year. Note: Not all books are currently in print. You may need to do a little digging in your library to find them.
Especially for younger readers (ages 9 - 12):The Old West -- A series published by Time Life books. Rich with illustrations and dense with text. Especially recommended: The Forty-Niners, The Women, The Pioneers, The Indians, and The Chroniclers.
The Indian Frontier of the American West 1846 - 1890 (Robert M. Utley) -- The author presents events from several viewpoints, focusing largely on the cultural misunderstandings between the two sides.
Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey (Lillian Schlissel) and Pioneer Women (Joanna Stratton) -- Both books of diary excerpts from women who went west and lived on the frontier, with commentary by the anthologists.
Far From Home (L. Schlissel et al) -- Continuation of Schlissel's earlier book (above) which uses primary sources to tell of the westward moves of three families during the mid-19th to early 20th centuries.
The Plains Across (John D. Unruh, Jr.) -- Finalist for the 1980 Pulitzer Prize; extensive history of the western overland emigrants between 1840 and 1860.
Thousand Pieces of Gold (Ruthanne Lum McCunn) -- A biographical "novel" of a woman sold from her home in China into prostitution in the mining camps of the Northwest in the late 1800s. A basically true story whose protagonist died at the age of 80 in 1933.
We Lived There Too (Kenneth Libo and Irving Howe) -- Lots of illustrations accompany the text in this book about pioneer Jews and the westward movement from 1630 to 1930.
National Geographic Magazine -- Contains a wealth of articles about many aspects of the west and its history, including the gold rush and the pony express. Recommended: August, 1986 article on the Oregon Trail.
Treasures in the Trunk : Quilts of the Oregon Trail (Mary Bywater Cross) As the title suggests, this book is about the quilts, the women who made them, and the circumstances under which they were made. Color illustrations.
The West: An Illustrated History (Geoffrey C. Ward) -- This large and comprehensive book is sometimes available at a ridiculously low price on remainder tables. Worth looking for -- more of a book to browse and graze through than to read cover to cover because there is just so much in it. (This is the companion book to the PBS television series done by Stephen Ives and Ken Burns. We'll be watching parts of that series and The Civil War in class throughout the year.)Annotation on these books may be found at amazon.com by clicking on the linked titles. Many of these books are available in our school library or at a substantial discount from the Scholastic Book Club whose lists we distribute frequently through the year. Especially popular among our students have been the books that are part of the "Dear America" series.Children of the Gold Rush (Jane G. Haigh, Claire Rudolf Murphy)
Behind the Blue and Gray : The Soldier's Life in the Civil War (Delia Ray)
A Nation Torn : The Story of How the Civil War Began (Delia Ray)
A Separate Battle : Women and the Civil War (Ina Chang)
Black, Blue & Gray : African Americans in the Civil War (Jim Haskins, James Haskins)
Never Were Men So Brave : The Irish Brigade During the Civil War (Susan Provost Beller)
The Boys' War : Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War (Jim Murphy)
Behind Rebel Lines:The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy (Seymour Reit)
The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party (Marian Calabro)
Pioneer Girl : Growing Up on the Prairie (Andrea Warren)
Children of the Wild West (Russell Freedman)
A Pioneer Sampler : The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840 (Barbara Greenwood, et al)
Daily Life in a Covered Wagon (Paul Erickson)
If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon (Ellen Levine, Elroy Freem)
Facing West : A Story of the Oregon Trail (Kathleen V. Kudlinski, James Watling)
Bound for Oregon (Jean Van Leeuwen, James Watling)
Treasures in the Trunk : Quilts of the Oregon Trail (Mary Bywater Cross)
The Pioneers Go West (George Rippey Stewart)
The California Gold Rush (May McNeer)
The American West : Native Americans, Pioneers and Settlers (Christine Hatt)
Bad Guys : True Stories of Legendary Gunslingers, Sidewinders, Fourflushers,Drygulchers,
Bushwhackers, Freebooters, and Downright Bad Guys and Gals (Andrew Glass)Black Women of the Old West (William Loren Katz, Marcia Marshall)
The Forgotten Heroes : The Story of the Buffalo Soldiers (Clinton Cox)
How Would You Survive in the American West? (Jacqueline Morley, David Dalsriya, David Antram)
Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie : The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell (Kristiana Gregory)
When Will This Cruel War Be Over? : The Civil War Diary of Emma Simpson (Barry Denenberg)
A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee,a Slave Girl (Pat McKissack, Patricia McKissack)
I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly : The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl (Joyce Hansen)
West to a Land of Plenty : Diary of Teresa Angelino Vis Cardi (Jim Murphy)
So Far from Home : The Diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill Girl (Barry Denenberg)
Dreams in the Golden Country : The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish Immigrant Girl (Kathryn Lasky)
A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence (Sherry Garland)