ABOUT THIS BOOK: 

When Marion Russell was an elderly lady, she wrote her memoirs describing her many trips along the Santa Fe Trail. This book, in Marion’s own voice, is about her first journey in 1852 when she was seven years old. James Watling’s illustrations  capture Marion’s love of wagon train life and her family’s experiences during the trip.

ACTIVITIES AND LINKS FOR  KIDS:

• Imagine what it was like 150 years ago when there were no telephones, automobiles, microwaves, or televisions.  Could you travel in a covered wagon for several months instead of getting on an airplane?

• If you live near enough, plan a family vacation to see parts of the Santa Fe Trail.  National Park sites on the trail include Fort Larned in Kansas, Fort Union and Pecos Pueblo in New Mexico, and Bent's Old Fort in Colorado.  You can also see wagon ruts in William Minor Park in Kansas City, Missouri.

• Go to the Santa Fe Trail Association or Interactive Santa Fe Trail websites to learn more about the history of this trail.

  REVIEWS/AWARDS:

• NCSS/CBC Notable Children’s Trade Book

"The flowing text is complemented by evocative paintings of placid buffalo, the wagon train in a storm and the bustle of Santa Fe. A solid choice as a personalized view of westward expansion or a browser for history buffs, told from a woman’s point of view." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

"Lively with authentic detail. Excellent source material." KIRKUS REVIEWS

TEACHER OR LIBRARIAN?

• An activity page for the classroom or library.

• Reprinted in Houghton Mifflin’s Explore, Invitations to Literacy 1996.  Use this volume in your classroom or as a guide for a study unit on pioneers.

• Use the May 1990 Santa Fe Trail issue of Cobblestone Magazine for more trail information.

WHERE TO FIND OR ORDER THIS BOOK:

• Check your school or local library.

• Go to your favorite independent bookstore.  On the Internet, find this book directly at your closest independent bookstore through .  You can also find it through Amazon.com.

• Call Albert Whitman & Company at 1-800-255-7675 or go to their website at www.awhitmanco.com.

As part of my research, I explored the ruins of Fort Union in New Mexico and took this picture.

Marion Russell lived here as a young bride.

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