WELCOME TO AUSTRALIAN USED HOMESCHOOL BOOKS!
HISTORICAL FICTION AMERICA - PILGRIMS, POCAHONTAS, WAGON TRAINS & THE WILD WEST
PICTURE BOOKS
Molly Bannaky (Alice McGill) $7 HBDJ EC (Ex lib) The wonderful true story of an English dairymaid sent to the gallows for accidentally spilling "his lordship's milk," but saved because she could read from the Bible. She is exiled to America where she serves seven years as an indentured servant in Maryland. When finally granted her freedom, Molly Walsh stakes her claim and starts a farm, attempting to grow tobacco, but soon realizes that she needs help. She purchases an African slave, Bannaky, vowing to treat him well and to set him free once her land is cleared. The two grow to love one another and break Colonial law by marrying. The story then jumps to the next generation and ends with Molly teaching her grandson Benjamin to read and telling him of his proud heritage. A historical note fills in some additional details. The large, double-page spreads throughout, in which Soentpiet brilliantly uses space, tone, texture, and colour, particularly in lighting up portions of each painting, bring depth and drama to the text. The lush green of tobacco leaves; the dark blue of ship, water, and sky; and the pervasive glow of candles, fires, and sunsets augment subtle symbols in composition and vivid characterization communicated through body language and facial expression. A good story in a fabulous artistic package. 5-9 YO http://www.amazon.com/Molly-Bannaky-Chris-K-Soentpiet/dp/039572287X
The Lucky Sovereign (Stewart Lees) $6 HB EC Sam and his father sail from England to America in 1616 to begin a new life in Jamestown, but they run into trouble when their money is stolen and they have to defend themselves in court. A great adventure story accompanied by powerful illustrations and an historical note on Jamestown, vividly recreates 17th century life on the high seas. 5-9 YO http://www.kalahari.co.ke/page_templates/product_image_popup.aspx?productImageUrl=http://images.kalahari.co.ke/ann/all/lg/157/091/488/1570914885.jpg&imageTitle=The-Lucky-Sovereign
Long Ago In Colonial Days (Johanna Johnson) $3 HB GC A lovely vintage book showing children how the Mayflower settlers lived. Shows the inside of log cabins, maple sugar collecting, blacksmithing and quilting, town life and early schools, going to the apothecary’s, the wharves and stagecoaches. 6-9 YO http://www.childrensbookmarket.com/auction/BookMartViewItem.asp?ID=155402
A Colonial Williamsburg Tale “The Mouse And The Mill and The Bottle Babies” (Alma S. Coon) $4 HB VGC Two charmingly illustrated read-aloud Colonial Williamsburg tales for young children are bound together in an upside down and backwards book. The Mouse and the Mill is a story about a little mouse living near Robertson’s Windmill, while The Bottle Babies tells what happens to a sparrow family that nests in a colonial birdhouse. 5-9 YO http://www.history.org/publications/books/images/bottlebabes.jpg
Lysbet And The Fire Kittens (Marietta Moskin) $2 PB GC Fire! Fire! Lysbet’s house is on fire and her cat, Stuyver, is inside! Ma and Pa are away and there is no one Lysbet can turn to. She must save the house and save Stuyver too—all by herself! This story is about a Dutch girl, named Lysbet, but it does not take place in Holland. It takes place in one of the American colonies at a time long, long ago—more than 300 hundred years ago, in the year 1662. At that time, there were many people from Holland living in a colony called New Amsterdam. Later, New Amsterdam became New York City. 5-9 YO http://www.mariettamoskin.com/
Everything From A Nail To A Coffin (Iris Van Rynbach) $5 HBDJ EC A true story, this book traces the long history of a building, and the stories of the people who owned and worked in it, on Main Street in Connecticut, from its construction in 1874 to the present day. A fascinating picture of the history of America in a wonderfully illustrated picture book for younger historians. 5-10 YO Recommended! http://irisvanrynbach.com/images/bk_nailcoffin.jpg
The Floating House (Scott Russell Sanders) $6 PB EC In a story set in 1815, Mary and Jonathan McClure join their parents and numerous other families on an adventurous journey down the Ohio River. The McClures have been patiently waiting for winter's end aboard a loaded flatboat by a riverbank in Pittsburgh. Spring thaw makes travel on the river possible again; they set off, looking forward to a new life on fertile land in the territory that was to become Indiana. Sanders has written a descriptive narrative of these courageous people who loaded all their possessions, tools, animals, and family onto a flatboat or raft bound for a new home on unsettled land. The daily struggles and triumphs on the river are effectively portrayed throughout the narrative. Watercolour paintings in shades of blues, greens, and browns complete the historical perspective, detailing just about every aspect of this hardworking life. 6-10 YO http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0027781372/ref=dp_image_text_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books
Swamp Angel (Anne Isaacs) $5 PB VGC This tallest of tall tales is an original in the tradition of Paul Bunyan. On the day of her birth, nothing about Angelica Longrider suggested that she would one day become the greatest woodswoman of Tennessee. In fact, the newborn was "scarcely taller than her mother and couldn't climb a tree without help." It's not long, though, before Angelica is vanquishing varmints such as Thundering Tarnation, a huge bear with a taste for settlers' winter rations, and swallowing entire lakes in a gulp. Paul O. Zelinsky's folksy oil illustrations are painted on cherry, maple, or birch veneers, with old-fashioned frames. CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK 5-9 YO http://www.amazon.com/Swamp-Angel-Caldecott-Honor-Book/dp/0525452710
Stagecoach to Town (Willi Baum) $4 HB EC Leaving their ranch in the wild west, Jack and Pete rescue a runaway stagecoach and drive it to town. Little do they know what awaits them when they are welcomed as heroes. Great scenes and insights into early American town life. 6-10 YO
Apples To Oregon (Deborah Hopkinson) $5 PB EC When Papa decides to move from Iowa to Oregon his biggest concern is not his family but his apples--and his peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, and pears! He constructs a dirt-filled wagon to transport his fruit saplings, while his family travels in a smaller cart. Along the way, they encounter the requisite Oregon Trail hardships, but luckily daughter Delicious is clever enough to help her family and they eventually arrive safely at their new home. 5-9 YO http://www.amazon.com/Apples-Oregon-Slightly-Narrative-Cherries/dp/0689847696/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196836222&sr=1-1
Tales Of The American West “Home On The Prairie” (Neil Morris) $4 HB VGC Presents the adventures of one family of pioneer settlers on the prairie, after the Homestead Act of 1862 opened up the West. Information pages supply additional facts about life in the American West. Great illustrations in a great little book! 6-9 YO
The Sweetwater Run: The Story Of Buffalo Bill Cody And The Pony Express (Andrew Glass) $6 HBDJ VGC Before he was a star entertainer touring the world with his Wild West Show for more than 30 years at the end of the last century, Buffalo Bill was a Pony Express rider. Andrew Glass has taken that piece of historical information and fashioned an engaging fictional tale, recounting the made-up story of Will Cody's Pony Express dash to spread news of Abraham Lincoln's election to the far reaches of the American West. The Cody of this tale is a teenager, and he will appeal to all kids interested in a lively hero and a good adventure yarn. 6-10 YO http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0440411866/ref=dp_image_text_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books
The Cowboy And The Black-Eyed Pea $2 PB EC Set in the Old West of Texas, upon her father's death, Farethee Well inherits his herd of cattle, his horses, and his land. Before he dies, he tells her that many men will propose marriage because of her wealth; however, she should look for one who will love her for herself and also for a real cowboy. The young woman remembers her father saying that real cowboys are sensitive, so she places a black-eyed pea under the suitor's saddle blankets and asks him to ride around her ranch. 5-9 YO http://www.amazon.com/Cowboy-Black-Eyed-Pea-Tony-Johnston/dp/069811356X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196658554&sr=1-1
The Pine Tree That Went To Sea (Joy Dueland) $3 HB VGC Set in 1700's Maine. The tall pine tree called the King Pine was cut down off of Pete's father's land to be taken to the seaport and made into a ship's mast, the finest mast of all. Young Pete goes with the tree and eventually learns to work on the ship the mast is placed on. 6-10 YO http://www.alibris.co.uk/booksearch.detail?invid=9666029486&browse=1&qwork=5137886&discount=0&qsort=&page=1
CHAPTER BOOKS & NOVELS
The American Adventure “Plymouth Pioneers” (Colleen L. Reece) $4 PB VGC John Smythe, 12 years old in Plymouth Pioneers, and his sister Sarah, 10, have come on the Mayflower to the New World. As Separatists, the Smythes believe in practicing their faith in daily life, and their first year in North America gives them ample opportunity to do that. 10+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/series/american-adventure/plymouth-pioneers.htm
Christian Heritage Series “The Stowaway” (Nancy Rue) $4 PB EC Sent to Salem Town to be educated, Josiah dreams of becoming a sailor. Nothing is going to stop him.or so he thinks! Josiah is drawn to the dock, where he sneaks into the cargo hold of one of the vessels. In a moment, someone is on him, dangling a huge rat over his face. He's been discovered! Desperate to stay out of trouble, Josiah strikes a deal his conscience tells him isn't right. Meanwhile, Josiah's sister, Hope, is accused of stealing a gold chain. What will happen to Josiah? Can Josiah convince everyone that Hope is not guilty? 9+ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1561793477/ref=dp_image_text_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books
A Lion To Guard Us (Clyde Robert Bulla) $6 PB EC A favourite author uses an actual incident from 1609 to base a story of three impoverished children left alone in London who make their way to the Virginia colony in search of their father. . . . Fine engrossing historical fiction. 7-11 YO NOTABLE 1981 CHILDREN’S TRADE BOOKS IN SOCIAL STUDIES http://www.amazon.com/Lion-Guard-Clyde-Robert-Bulla/dp/0064403335#reader_0064403335
The Loyall Virginian (George Finkel) $7 HBDJ VGC A young Virginia planter sails to Europe to trade tobacco and finds himself caught up in the English Civil War. A nautical trading voyage set in the 1600's and the struggle between a Virginian born colonist who loyalty to his king is tempered by his experience of freedom in a faraway land. Shows the effect that the civil war had on the American colonies. Rare book, 1st edition, 1968. 11+ https://www.marlowesbooks.com/detailbild.php?image=bookimg/020108b.jpg
The True Confessions Of Charlotte Doyle (Avi) $3 PB FC Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is excited to make an interesting voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Liverpool, England, to her family in Providence, Rhode Island. Experience life aboard an early sailing ship as Charlotte dons the garb of a boy and overcomes danger and hardship to be reunited with her family. …….NEWBERY HONOR MEDAL 11+ http://www.hcplonline.info/books/booklists/covers/large/0380714752.jpg
Peter Pembroke, Apprentice (Jan Nickerson) $4 HBDJ GC (Jacket a few tatters, book excellent) Upon his arrival in Boston from England, a young boy discovers he is an orphan and must become an apprentice cabinetmaker to make a living. 10+
Encounter at Easton (Avi) $4 PB FC (A little cover wear) Two transported servants, little more than children, escape first from their master and then from a search party determined to turn them over to the authorities. They hope to find work and freedom in the town of Easton. But when Elizabeth is badly wounded, Robert must do all he can to keep her alive. He's scared--and confused. He needs help from someone, an adult. But should he turn to the wild woman of the woods? Or can he trust Nathaniel Hill, the friendly man he meets in town? 9-12 YO http://www.amazon.com/Encounter-Easton-Avon-Camelot-Book/dp/0380732416
The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne) $3 PB VGC Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who gives birth after committing adultery and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt. 13+ http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/0553210092/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0
Beyond The Burning Time (Kathryn Lasky) $5 PB BRAND NEW Mary Chase's sense of foreboding grows as, one by one, her friends fall prey to evidence of witchcraft and the innocent are identified as witches. She is horrified by the growing hysteria, and dismayed when her mother, who is a widow working a farm without a man, is cried out upon and arrested. An engrossing and exciting tale of an important era in American history. 10+ http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Burning-Time-Point-Signature/dp/0590473328/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196564005&sr=1-1
The Witch Of Blackbird Pond (Elizabeth George Speare) $3 PB EC, $2 PB FC Forced to leave her sunny Caribbean home for the bleak Connecticut Colony, Kit Tyler is filled with trepidation. What this spirited teenager doesn't count on is how her aunt and uncle's stern Puritan community will view her. In the colonies of 1687, a girl who swims, wears silk and satin gowns, and talks back to her elders is not only headstrong, she is in grave danger of being regarded as a witch. When Kit befriends an old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, it is more than the suspicious villagers can take: soon Kit is defending her life. A thoroughly exciting and rewarding book that brings this frightening period of witch hysteria to life. 10+ NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER, ALA NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Blackbird-Elizabeth-George-Speare/dp/0440995779
Christian Heritage Series “The Accused” (The Salem Years) (Nancy Rue) $4 PB VGC Josiah and Hope, two young Puritans living in Salem Village in 1691, find themselves caught in a bitter feud between the Putnam and Nurse families. After being robbed by the cruel Putnam brothers, Josiah must find the courage to tell the truth. Will anyone believe him if he does? Or will he be locked away? 9+ http://www.amazon.com/Accused-Christian-Heritage-Salem-Years/dp/1561793981
Pocahontas (Joseph Bruchac) $5 PB BRAND NEW This vivid, detailed historical novel chronicles the relationship between Virginia colonists and the Powhatans as seen through the perspectives of Captain John Smith and 11-year-old Pocahontas, daughter of the Powhatan chief. 11+ http://www.amazon.com/Pocahontas-Joseph-Bruchac/dp/0152054650/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196657576&sr=1-1
The Story of Pocahontas, Indian Princess (Patricia Adams) $4 PB EC (Ex lib) A Fictionalised biography of the seventeenth-century Indian princess who befriended Captain John Smith and the English settlers of Jamestown. 6-10 YO http://www.amazon.com/Story-Pocahontas-Indian-Princess/dp/0440470676
Pocahontas (Colleen Reece) $3 PB FC (Cover repaired) She manages to save the life of the brave Captain John Smith and loves nothing better than a foot race through the unspoiled Virginian wilderness. And she’s more than willing to learn the white man’s ways, even if it means wearing high-necked dresses and tight, hard shoes. She asks a million questions, even about the sacred faith of her Indian tribe, but the answers don’t make sense. Why doesn’t the Great Hare ever speak to her? One day, though, she will give her heart to Jesus. An illustrated story of younger readers. 7-11 YO http://www.librarything.com/work/1909182
The Story Of Squanto, First Friend To The Pilgrims (Cathy East Dubowski) $5 PB BRAND NEW, $4 PB VGC When the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, they faced many hardships. Luckily, they found a friend named Squanto, who spoke English, to guide them. Squanto played an important role in making peace between the Native Americans and the settlers in Plymouth. He also taught them the secrets of fishing, hunting and growing corn, so that they could joyously share the first feast of Thanksgiving. 9+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/d/cathy-east-dubowski/story-of-squanto-first-friend-to-pilgrims.htm
Boston Jane: An Adventure (Jennifer L. Holm - author of Newbery Honor book ‘Our Only May Amelia’) $5 PB GC Impulsive Jane, ever on the path to leaving behind her rough-and-tumble tomboy childhood to become a proper young lady, agrees to meet her very genteel fiancé on the rugged west coast of America. Unfortunately, William is not there when she arrives. Suddenly, Boston Jane, as her new Chinook neighbours call her, must cast aside her "faultless young lady" demeanour and depend on her long-suppressed pioneer spirit to survive. Holm cleverly weaves in lessons from Jane's Philadelphia finishing school, Miss Hepplewhite's Young Ladies Academy, in dramatic and often-hilarious contrast to the trials and tribulations Jane faces at sea and in Oregon country. Readers will be charmed by teenage Jane's ironic tone and inner conflicts and will cheer her on as she sheds layer after layer of decorum. The intricate details of mid-19th century life on an untamed frontier--complete with carefully researched Chinook tribal history and real-life incidents of white settlers--are absolutely fascinating. A thrilling, entertaining read. 10+ http://www.amazon.com/Boston-Jane-Adventure-Jennifer-Holm/dp/0064408493
Twist of Gold (Michael Morpurgo) $6 HBDJ VGC (Ex lib), $6 PB EC This work takes the reader on an epic journey through famine, hope and survival by a much-loved, award winning author. Sean and Annie have one chance to escape the potato famine and plague in Ireland. They survive a shipwreck and land safely in America searching for their father. But their new land is one of hardship and they live in poverty on the streets of Boston. However, their adventure is just beginning...they live on a steamboat and then join pioneers travelling across the prairies. Their music and dancing bring joy to all they meet, but their family torc brings both blessings and curses and thieves prowl to get hold of it. Annie and Sean must hang on to their torc - their family's survival depends on it. 11+ http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n11/n55186.jpg
The Young Voyageur: An Exciting Historical Novel of Mackinac (Dirk Gringhuis) $6 PB EC An exciting historical novel that tells the story of a young boy, Danny O'Hara, who runs away from his home at Detroit with his friend, Jacques Le Blanc, to Michilimackinac during the War of 1763, and ends up a captive of the Chippewa Indians. A wonderful read, with lots of detailed illustrations. http://www.amazon.com/Young-Voyageur-Mackinac-Island-Historic/dp/0911872345
Mr. Tucket (Gary Paulsen) $4 PB GC (Ex lib) Francis Tucket is 14 years old when he strays from his family's wagon on the Oregon Trail and is captured by the Pawnee. With the help of Mr. Grimes, a one-armed trapper who maintains an uneasy truce with the Pawnee by trading them guns and ammunition, Francis escapes and spends a winter learning to survive by living off the land. 10+ http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Tucket-Francis-Books/dp/0440411335#reader_0440411335
Sisters In Time “Betsy’s River Adventure: The Journey Westward” $5 PB VGC Thirteen-year-old Betsy Miller is shocked when her parents decide to move from their home in Boston to the rugged frontier city of Cincinnati. They'll take a dangerous, weeks-long journey by boat down the Ohio River. If that's not bad enough, Betsy's annoying cousin George is also making the trip-with his equally annoying dog. Especially for girls ages eight to twelve, this exciting story shares the emotional turmoil of a young woman experiencing dramatic life changes-while at the same time teaching important lessons of Christian faith and American history. 10+ http://www.amazon.com/Betsys-River-Adventure-Journey-Westward/dp/1593102070
The Prairie Wagon Trail (Rowland Walker) $3 HBDJ GC (Ex lib, tanning, old treasure but sound) Based on the reminiscences of the author's grandfather who, in 1849, set off in McCurdy’s wagon train and faced the perils of the wilderness, hostile Redskins, buffalo stampedes and more. 10+ http://www.biblioz.com/search.php?a=88&i=35442075&Id=156672993&page=
Children On The Oregon Trail (A. Rutgers van der Loeff) $2 PB VGC (Tanning) Tells the story of the Sager children, whose parents dream of starting a new life in Oregon. After they die, the rest of the wagon train decide to turn back, but the oldest Sager child, John, is determined to fulfil his parents' dream and get to Oregon, and he and his brother and sisters run away and set out for Oregon on their own. John, desperate to get his siblings to Oregon, drives them on with increasing harshness, their journey is fraught with perils and privations, as they struggle towards their goal. 10+ http://usedbooks-online.com/images-books/childrenOregon.jpg
The Barn (Avi) $3 PB NEW (Teacher name on inturn, but new) After their father suffers a "fit of palsy," three motherless children try to keep their struggling farm going in 1855, Oregon. Although nine-year-old Benjamin is the youngest, he is the cleverest of the three, and also the one who truly believes that his father can recover. After Benjamin figures out a way to communicate with him, he convinces the others that if they can build the barn that their father had been planning, he will somehow find a reason to live. Recommended! 9+ http://www.amazon.com/Barn-Avon-Camelot-Books/dp/0380725622/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196572439&sr=1-1
Wagon Wheels (Barbara Brenner) $6 PB BRAND NEW The three Muldie boys and their father have reached Kansas after a long, hard trip from Kentucky, during which their mother died. This close-knit, African American family spends their first tough winter in a dugout in the small settlement of Nicodemos, a town founded by freed slaves. They almost starve that first winter, but are helped by some Osage Indians. The three boys are left alone in the spring as their father seeks even better land, and come July, they face the challenge of travelling 150 miles on their own to meet him. The four short chapters present an exciting and realistic story, and an author's note documents its truth. 5-9 YO http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Wagon-Wheels/Barbara-Brenner/e/9780064440523
Miss Hickory (Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, illustrations by Ruth Gannett (My Father’s Dragon) $4 PB GC Miss Hickory is a doll whose body is an apple-wood twig and whose head is a hickory nut, and whose house is made out of corncobs. How will she survive a harsh New Hampshire winter all alone? A charming story....NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER 6-10 years http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Hickory-Carolyn-Sherwin-Bailey/dp/014030956X/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196394845&sr=1-2
Molly’s Pilgrim (Barbara Cohen) $5 HB EC (Ex school library), $4 PB EC Molly and her family have moved to America from Russia to find freedom. But the other kids in Molly’s class make fun of her accent and clothes. At Thanksgiving everyone has to bring a Pilgrim doll to class, but the doll Molly’s mother makes looks like a Russian peasant girl. It doesn’t look like the Pilgrims in Molly’s books at all. How will she ever fit in? But something wonderful happens at school to make Molly and her classmates learn the true meaning of Thanksgiving. 6-9 YO. http://www.amazon.com/Mollys-Pilgrim-Barbara-Cohen/dp/0688162797/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196395403&sr=1-1
Trouble River (Betsy Byars) $4 PB NEW (Name on top page edges) When he builds his raft, a twelve-year-old boy never dreams that it will serve as the sole means of escape for him and his grandmother when hostile Indians threaten their prairie cabin. 9+ http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-River-Betsy-Byars/dp/0140342435/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196564240&sr=1-2
The Buffalo Knife (William O. Steele - author of the Sonlight title 'The Perilous Road.') $5 HBDJ EC (Ex lib) Nine-year-old Andy and his family brave natural and man-made dangers during a perilous thousand-mile raft trip down the Tennessee River. Indian attacks with flaming arrows, a rattlesnake bite, and dangerous rapids make for a real page turner. The characters are well developed, and Steele's familiarity with the landscape is evident in his descriptions of woods and river. A useful introduction by Jean Fritz includes an explanation of Steele's use of such terms as "redskins" and "savages" as being reflective of the language of the time period and as such not offensive. 8-12 YO http://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Knife-Odyssey-Classics/dp/0152052151
Incident At Hawk’s Hill (Allan W. Eckert) $4 PB GC Eckert’s story is a fictionalized account of an actual event in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1870. Six-year-old Ben MacDonald gets lost in a prairie storm and is cared for by a female badger whose pups have died. Eventually Ben is returned to his family, and all of the MacDonalds emerge from their ordeal as stronger and more loving people. The novel surfaces concerns of compelling interest to young people: dealing with society’s judgments; satisfying parental expectations; growing in self-reliance; learning to love and be loved; developing individual talents; and appreciating the world as it is. 10+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/e/allan-w-eckert/incident-at-hawks-hill.htm
Where The Lillies Bloom (Vera & Bill Cleaver) $4 HBDJ GC (Ex lib), $3 PB VGC (Ex lib) Mary Call has promised her dying father to keep her brother and sisters together forever on the mountain, and never to take any help from strangers. She is determined to keep her word. No matter what. At first she is sure she can manage. Romey, Ima Dean, and Devola help gather herbs to sell in town; the riches of the mountains will surely keep the family clothed and fed. But then winter comes, fast and furious, and Mary Call has to learn that the land where the lilies bloom is also a cruel and unforgiving place, and it may take more than a promise to keep her family together. NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK (ALA), NOMINEE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, BEST BOOK (SLJ), OUTSTANDING CHILDREN'S BOOK (NYT) 10+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/vera-cleaver/where-lillies-bloom.htm
Winding Valley Farm: Annie’s Story (Anne Pellowski) $5 PB GC A young girl shares pleasures and disappointments with the other members of a large Wisconsin farm family in the early twentieth century. Anna's daughter Annie is growing up happily in the 1900s on her family's farm--until her parents begin talking about moving to Winona. Incredulous, Annie can't imagine what there is to do in town. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Winding-Valley-Farm/Anne-Pellowski/e/9780884895381 (Cover different)
Five Bushel Farm (Elizabeth Coatsworth – Sonlight author “The Cat Who Went To Heaven’) $4 HB GC Andrew must search the docks and find out if his missing captain-father has returned alive on his ship after all. So begins an adventure to unlikely places: to Maine frontiers, and new farms, and not-so-friendly Indians in these days of the early 1800s. But here Andrew finds cheer when he is taken in by the lively, determined families of Uncle Joseph and Uncle Ephraim. Sally and all her cousins, aunts, uncles, hired helpers and visitors seem to find a way around every flood, threat, and quarrel! It is Andrew and Sally who find the perfect spot for the new house; and it is they whose friendliness towards the wary Indians ensures, finally, their farm's safety. Hope continues to grow that it will be possible to track Andrew's father, and to reach an honest compact between the farmers and the Indians. 9+ http://www.bethlehembooks.com/content/five-bushel-farm
The Claim by the Cottonwood Tree (Alberta Wilson Constant) $5 HB GC (Ex lib) A gun is fired and the race begins – the Run of 1893 for land for settlement in the Cherokee Strip of Oklahoma. Joe Richardson stakes his claim by the only tree for miles around, a cottonwood tree; and thereafter his family become settlers there. Share in their pioneering adventures from building a sod hut, to shelling corn, to defending oneself from outlaws, to an encounter with a hostile skunk! 8+
Grasshopper Summer (Ann Turner) $4 PB VGC (Name inside, light tanning) Sam's father decides that he's had enough of the overworked Kentucky bottomland that he has farmed for his in-laws. He takes his family by wagon to the Dakota Territory, where land is as cheap as the cost of settling it. Sam can't get accustomed to the big sky in Nebraska, but he and his brother Billy gradually learn to like their new surroundings. It is only when a swarm of grasshoppers drops out of the sky and devours their first crop that Sam realizes that although his own family is staying on, the price of settling a new land, for some folks, is just too high. Turner deftly balances tranquil scenes (the family's pitching in to build the sod house) with terrifying ones (the grasshoppers eat anything green, even the green stripes of a woman's dress--while she is still wearing it.) 9-12 YO http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SA774P3FL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
The Last of the Roundup Boys (Debra Seely) $5 HBDJ EC (Ex lib) When Tom's family finds itself struggling at the start of another harsh winter on the Kansas prairie, Tom has no choice but to take up a cowhand position at the Parsons ranch. The cowboy life isn't easy, but Tom's family needs the money and he craves the freedom it promises. 11+ http://www.sewardlibrary.org/kids/review_graphics/roundup.jpg
Grandma’s Attic Novels “A School of her Own” (Arleta Richardson – author of Sonlight title ‘In Grandma’s Attic’) $4 PB GC (Ex lib) Cold stoves, scarlet fever, and a break-in at the schoolhouse are only part of Mabel’s worries in her first year of teaching in the late 1800s rural America. How should she handle the threats of Cy Lawton, whose son comes to school bearing the marks of his father's anger? Or the gossip about her "setting her cap" for Leonard Williams, the young minister? Meanwhile, letters from her high school friend Russ keep coming, regular as clockwork, offering Mabel a comfortable, secure future as a banker's wife. Mabel thinks she is too young to be facing such important decisions even with God's help, but as Sarah Jane reminds her, "Life keeps moving on, whether you're ready or not." 8-12 YO http://www.alibris.com/booksearch.detail?invid=10411631895&browse=1&isbn=9781555136703&qsort=&page=1
Kayla O’Brian and the Dangerous Journey (Hilda Stahl) $3 PB VGC This exciting frontier-days adventure tells of two Irish youths who wanted nothing more than a happy, peaceful home. Instead, every corner they turned seemed to bring them into even greater intrigue and danger. 8-12 YO http://www.amazon.com/Kayla-OBrian-Dangerous-Journey-Adventure/dp/0891075771/ref=pd_sim_b_2
Kayla O’Brian Trouble at Bitter Creek Ranch (Hilda Stahl) $3 PB VGC a and her little brother Timothy must sometimes rely on their faith in Jesus when they are shipped west on an orphan train and go to live with the Larsen family on their ranch. 8-12 YO http://www.paperbackswap.com/Kayla-OBrian-Trouble-Hilda-Stahl/book/0891076115/
The Pedlar’s Cart (Elizabeth Coatsworth – author of the Sonlight title ‘The Cat Who Went To Heaven) $4 HBDJ VGC (Ex lib) Papa had as good a farm as any in western New York, but every spring when the martins came, he brightened up his red and yellow pedlar’s cart and took off. ‘Want to come, George?’ was the beginning of a wonderful summer for George full of exciting sights and adventures as they drove through the countryside with pots and pans jangling gaily; the fun of bringing clocks and bright ginghams and mirrors and jewellery to the women of the farmhouses along the way. Join George as he sees his first canal boat and makes friends with an Indian who later saves his life. 8-12 YO http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/0216887038/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_all
Dear America “Standing In The Light: The Captive Diary Of Catharine Carey Logan, Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania, 1763” (Mary Pope Osborne $5 PB EC Catharine Carey Logan, a 13-year-old Quaker girl living in rural Pennsylvania in 1763. When Caty and her younger brother, Thomas, are captured by a band of Lenape warriors, she fears the worst. For months she rails against her captors at every opportunity, despite their humane treatment of her. Then, her blossoming friendship with Snow Hunter, an English captive who has decided to remain with the tribe permanently, helps her see the good in this very different culture. Although she is eventually recaptured by the English, her newfound empathy for the Lenape lifestyle leaves her an alien in her own world. Osborne's strength is her portrayal of Caty's gradual realization that the Lenape are not savages but human beings with views as legitimate as her own. Great historical fiction written in diary format with a historical note and original illustrations/newspaper clippings in each at the back. Highly recommended! 10+ http://www.amazon.com/Standing-Light-Captive-Catharine-America/dp/0590134620
The Long Way To A New Land (Joan Sandin) $6 PB BRAND NEW It is 1868, and Carl Erik's family faces starvation in Sweden. As their hopes fade, they must endure a journey over land and sea to reach a better life in a new country thousands of miles away. 4-9 YO NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF 1981 (ALA) 1981 CHILDREN'S EDITORS' CHOICES (BL) A READING RAINBOW SELECTION NOTABLE 1981 CHILDREN'S TRADE BOOKS IN SOCIAL STUDIES (NCSS/CBC) 1981 USA CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF INTERNATIONAL INTEREST (ALA) http://www.amazon.com/Long-Way-Land-Read-Book/dp/0064441008 Teaching ideas: http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/long/longtg.html
The Long Way Westward $6 PB BRAND NEW This sequel to The Long Way to a New Land follows a Swedish family travelling west across America to homestead in Minnesota. Their journey is not an easy one: sometimes the cars in the emigrant train have no seats, and in Pittsburgh they have to spend the night on the station floor. But they arrive safely at their destination, happy to have left poverty and famine behind and eager to start afresh in their new land. The story springs to life through the author’s finely drawn pen-and-ink drawings, washed with watercolours. From the clatter and bustle of New York City to the splendour of the rich Pennsylvania farmlands and a moonlit steamboat ride up the Mississippi River, Sandin vividly captures the flavour of an emigrant family's journey as seen through a child's eyes. A map is included. Ages 4-9. 1990 The WINNER OF: USA THROUGH CHILDREN'S BOOKS (ALA), CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF 1989 (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS), 1989 CHILDREN'S BOOKS (NY PUBLIC LIBRARY) http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Long-Way-Westward/Joan-Sandin/e/9780064441988
Lumber Camp Library (Natalie Kinsey-Warnock) $6 PB BRAND NEW Young Ruby Sawyer is the apple of her lumberjack father's eye. He encourages her to learn to read and write so that some day she can become a teacher. His death in a logging accident makes life much more difficult--until the Sawyers meet Aurora Graham, a blind woman with a house full of books and an appreciation for learning. Mrs. Graham gladly shares her books and her large house, and in exchange Ruby and her family assist her with her household chores. 7-10 YO http://www.amazon.com/Lumber-Camp-Library-Natalie-Kinsey-warnock/dp/0060293217
Caddie Woodlawn (Carol Ryrie Brink) $5 PB EC At age 11, Caddie Woodlawn is the despair of her mother and the pride of her father: a clock-fixing tomboy running wild in the woods of Wisconsin. In 1864, this is a bit much for her Boston-bred mother to bear, but Caddie and her brothers are happy with the status quo. Written in 1935 about Carol Ryrie Brink's grandmother's childhood, the adventures of Caddie and her brothers are still exciting over 60 years later. With each chapter comes another ever-more exciting adventure: a midnight gallop on her horse across a frozen river to warn her American Indian friends of the white men's plan to attack; a prairie fire approaching the school house; and a letter from England that may change the family's life forever. This Newbery Medal-winning book bursts at the seams with Caddie's irrepressible spirit. In spite of her mother's misgivings, Caddie is a perfect role model for any girl--or boy, for that matter. She's big-hearted, she's brave, and she's mechanically inclined! NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER 7-12 YO http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&id=LmpkQeaDiJIC&dq=Caddie+Woodlawn&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=q9_DwFYNxt&sig=GndgKfV6g1b2cEHb35_ojgoPFdw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result
Christy (Catherine Marshall) $4 HB GC (Minor corner bumping, ex lib) When Christy Huddleston leaves a life of privilege and ease to teach in the impoverished Smokey Mountains, her faith is severely tested by her pupils, the love of two men, and the curious customs of the mountain people in her community. Yet she grows to love these people and the simple, fulfilling lifestyle to be found in the heart of God's country. 10+ http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/0380001411/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_1?ie=UTF8&index=1 (Cover different)
Old Yeller (Fred Gipson) $4 PB GC At first, Travis couldn't stand the sight of Old Yeller. The stray dog was ugly, and a thieving rascal, too. But he sure was clever, and a smart dog could be a big help on the wild Texas frontier, especially with Papa away on a long cattle drive up to Abilene. Strong and courageous, Old Yeller proved that he could protect Travis's family from any sort of danger. But can Travis do the same for Old Yeller? A bestseller for generations, the combination of excellent writing and the sensitivity to human emotions places it on a shelf with the classics in juvenile literature. 7-12 YO NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER http://www.amazon.ca/Old-Yeller-Fred-Gipson/dp/0064403823 (Cover different)
Sarah, Plain And Tall (Patricia McLaughlin) $3 PB GC an affecting tale for children. In the late 19th century a widowed mid-western farmer with two children--Anna and Caleb--advertises for a wife. When Sarah arrives she is homesick for Maine, especially for the ocean which she misses greatly. The children fear that she will not stay, and when she goes off to town alone, young Caleb--whose mother died during childbirth--is stricken with the fear that she has gone for good. But she returns with colored pencils to illustrate for them the beauty of Maine, and to explain that, though she misses her home, "the truth of it is I would miss you more." The tale gently explores themes of abandonment, loss and love. 6-10 YO NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/patricia-maclachlan/sarah-plain-and-tall.htm
Skylark (Patricia MacLachlan) $6 PB NEW Sequel to ‘Sarah, Plain and Tall.’ Papa and Sarah are now married, but a drought intrudes on the family's new happiness. They struggle to haul water, watch their discouraged neighbours depart, then lose their barn to a prairie fire. Determined to hang on, Papa stays behind to rebuild while Sarah (pregnant, downhearted, and longing for her birthplace) takes the children back to Maine to visit. The coast's different beauty fascinates the children, but they're homesick--and so is Sarah; but in time the rains return out west, and Papa comes to bring them home. 6-10 YO http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/13980000/13984974.JPG
Caleb’s Story (Patricia MacLachlan) $6 PB NEW In this third book in the series begun in Sarah, Plain and Tall, Caleb is given the responsibility of writing down everything that happens on the farm now that his older sister Anna has gone to live in town to finish school. At first, he thinks there will be nothing to write about, but when an old man appears in the middle of winter, the family's quiet life is suddenly disrupted. The stranger turns out to be Caleb's grandfather, who left when the boy's father, Jacob, was young. While Jacob allows him to stay, he refuses to forgive or even speak to the man. Caleb slowly realizes that his grandfather is illiterate, and he teaches him how to read and write. It takes his efforts and a near-tragedy to reconcile the differences between the men. 6-10 YO http://www.inspire4less.com/productimages/9780064405904.jpg
A Gathering Of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-32 (Joan W. Blos) $4 PB VGC A year in the life of a 13-year-old girl in 19th-century New England. Catherine Cabot Hall begins her diary in 1830, a few years after the death of her mother. She relates her life on a the family farm where she lives with her father and her sister. As the year passes, Catherine encounters both happiness and sorrows as well as events that will change her life forever. 10+ NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qwork=2531183&matches=108&author=blos&browse=1&title=a+gathering+of+days&cm_sp=works*listing*title
Turkey Red (Esther Loewen Vogt) $3 PB VGC It's 1877, and young Martha Friesen finds herself on the wide-open plains of Kansas. Her Mennonite family left the Chortitza colony in southern Russia looking for the freedom to worship as they wish, and to follow their pacifist principles. But the new life in America has introduced some strange new experiences. Martha's brother, Jake, dislikes the new farm, and is talking about leaving for the city. And, meeting Indians and non-Mennonite whites, she begins to question some of the assumptions that always seemed so natural. 10+ http://cc.pbsstatic.com/m/85/2685/9780912692685.jpg
Harvest Gold (Esther Loewen Vogt) $3 PB GC (Light tanning) It was a good land for farming in the 1870s ..but Martha still wasn't sure it was better than the Ukraine from which she and her family had come. Especially with a strange neighbour like Abram Perker always coming around to talk to her at the wrong time. Sequel to Turkey Red. 9+
Green Grass Of Wyoming Part 1 (Mary O’Hara) $2 PB FC This is the necessary culmination of "My Friend Flicka" and "Thunderhead." Like those others, it is by no means a children's book. It can be read on one level by children, and on another by adults. Ken has finally grown up, and his long-time faith in Thunderhead has been justified. Now a self-reliant teenager, Ken enters the world of horseracing in the third title of the Flicka trilogy. He meets a pretty horse-breeder from Philadelphia who steals the affections his animals once monopolized. The Goose Bar ranch is finally doing well, thanks in no small part to Ken and his wonderhorse, the racing champion Thunderhead. 10+ http://www.amazon.com/Green-Grass-Wyoming-Mary-OHara/dp/0060809043/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196656212&sr=1-2 (Cover different)
Thunderhead (Mary O’Hara) $3 PB VGC (Ex lib), $2 PB VGC (Older edition) In the second book of the "Flicka" trilogy, Ken is determined to break Flicka's rebellious colt, Thunderhead, to get the racehorse of his dreams. But the attempt proves difficult, and in the process Ken learns a great deal about himself. 11+ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thunderhead-Egmont-Classics-Mary-OHara/dp/140521001X
The Catch Colt (Mary O’Hara) $3 HBDJ GC (Ex lib, tape residue, some page discolouration) The daughter of a Wyoming rancher meets with parental opposition when she falls in love with a young out-of-work cowboy who has always been a loner and a drifter. 11+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/o/mary-ohara/catch-colt.htm
My Side Of The Mountain (Jean Craighead George) $3 PB EC, $2 PB GC Every kid thinks about running away at one point or another; few get farther than the end of the block. Young Sam Gribley gets to the end of the block and keeps going--all the way to the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. There he sets up house in a huge hollowed-out tree, with a falcon and a weasel for companions and his wits as his tool for survival. In a spellbinding, touching, funny account, Sam learns to live off the land, and grows up a little in the process. Blizzards, hunters, loneliness, and fear all battle to drive Sam back to city life. But his desire for freedom, independence, and adventure is stronger. No reader will be immune to the compulsion to go right out and start whittling fishhooks and befriending raccoons. 9+ NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER http://www.amazon.com/Side-Mountain-Jean-Craighead-George/dp/0140348107
The Adventures Of Young Buffalo Bill “In The Eye Of The Storm” (E. Cody Kimmel) $3 HBDJ GC (Inner spine slightly split but repaired) Things have changed dramatically for nine-year-old Bill since his father left home. He is suddenly the man of the house and must help his family survive the bitter-cold winter. And to top it all off, he now has to go to school! Sweeps readers back into the exciting and dangerous world of America's frontier past. 10+ http://www.amazon.com/Storm-Adventures-Young-Buffalo-Bill/dp/B000IOEYUU/ref=pd_sim_b_1#reader_B000IOEYUU
Trail Fever: The Life of a Texas Cowboy (DJ Lightfoot) $5 HBDJ EC With thrilling descriptions and a narrative full of adventure and danger, the author brings to life the true adventures of a Texas hero, George Washington Saunders. George was a gallant cowboy who braved stampedes, storms, droughts, and outlaws. Includes interesting details, dialogue, and lore from the man's childhood on a ranch during the Civil War to his teenage experience on his first real cattle drive north on the newly established Chisholm Trail. The hard life of riding and herding comes through, as does a love for challenges. 9-11 YO http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Fever-Life-Texas-Cowboy/dp/0688115373/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t
Dear America “The Journal Of Joshua Loper – A Black Cowboy, The Chisholm Trail, 1871” (Walter Dean Meyers) $6 HB EC The teenage son of a former slave joins a cattle drive from Texas to Abilene, Kansas. Joshua is a competent, level-headed boy who works hard, loves his mother, and keeps God in his heart. Despite the bigotry of the trail boss, the Captain, Joshua is determined to prove himself on his first drive. Through encounters with rustlers and others, stampedes, crew frictions, and the multitude of difficulties and challenges inherent in the job, Joshua holds his own, proves his worth, and earns some respect from the Captain. Great historical fiction written in diary format with a historical note and original illustrations and newspaper clippings in each at the back. Highly recommended! 10+ http://www.amazon.com/My-Name-America-Journal-Joshua/dp/0590026917/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200618247&sr=1-1
The Time Warp Trio “The Good, The Bad, And The Goofy” (Jon Scieszka) $3 PB VGC The third field trip of the Time Warp Trio lands them in the heart of the Old West. Far from enjoying the pulsating adventure of TV westerns, however, Fred, Sam and Joe suffer the dust-choked, mosquito-infested monotony of a cattle drive--until the Indians show up. Once again the threesome utilizes a bit of 20th-century cunning to save their hides and outwit their opponents. Scieszka sets a lively pace and offers up subtle parodies of popular western stereotypes. (This time, the Indians get to be the good guys.) Smith's black-and-white illustrations possess his characteristic flair - a double page spread of a cattle stampede is particularly flashy. 7-11 YO http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/jon-scieszka/good-bad-and-goofy.htm
The Younguns “The Circus Escape” (Thomas L. Tedrow) $4 PB VGC Terry Youngun is fed up. He's tired of getting in trouble and being punished, so he decides to run away. When the circus comes to Mansfield, Missouri, Terry sees his chance. He flees his summertime job picking carrots and hooks up with two lovable hobos, Railroad Jack and Skeeter. 8-12 YO http://www.amazon.com/Circus-Escape-Younguns-No/dp/0840741340/ref=pd_sim_b_2
Sundowners: Iron Dragon (James Swallow) $3 PB VGC It is the year 1878, and in the heart of America's untamed new frontier lurks a dark force as ancient as time, buried deep inside the earth, awaiting its return to power. Evil men are exploiting the riches of the West in order to bring that awakening about, using strange machinery and fantastic devices to further their ends. Only two men, warriors from two different cultures can stand together to defeat them and save the world from the terror of the Faceless. Gunslinger Gabriel Tyler and Indian shaman Jonathan Fivehawk have tracked the evil rail baron Robur Drache, to Winterville, high in the snow-covered mountains of the north. In his service to the Faceless, Drache has a legion of immigrant workers constructing a railroad which seems to have no start and no destination...While Tyler wonders after Drache's plan, Fivehawk is distracted by his own concerns; somewhere nearby is Eyes-Like-Amber, his sister, abducted by Drache's outriders for reasons unknown. Meanwhile, a young Chinese girl named Yu Lim is also investigating Drache's intents, with a duty of her own to follow. 11+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/james-swallow/iron-dragon.htm
The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer $2 PB VGC Describes the adventures of a boy growing up in a nineteenth-century Mississippi River town, as he plays hookey on an island, witnesses a crime, hunts for pirate treasure, and becomes lost in a cave. 10+ http://books.google.com.au/books?id=j391D4vlFfAC&dq=The+Adventures+Of+Tom+Sawyer&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0
The Apprenticeship Of Lucas Whitaker (Cynthia DeFelice) $3 PB BRAND NEW Lucas' entire family has died, one by one, of tuberculosis, known as consumption in the mid-1800s. Wandering through the Connecticut countryside in grief, Lucas ends up becoming the new apprentice to Dr. Uriah M. Beecher, also the local dentist, apothecary, barber, and undertaker. Lucas' new community is being decimated by consumption, and the local people want to try a technique rumoured to work. DeFelice skilfully gives readers enough historical information to create in Lucas a flesh and blood boy going through a most difficult time. Hand this title to students who have been assigned historical fiction and consider olden times to be boring. 10+ http://www.amazon.com/Apprenticeship-Lucas-Whitaker-Cynthia-DeFelice/dp/0374400148/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200707259&sr=1-1
(Last update February, 2011)
