WORDS WEST: Voices of Young Pioneers

Between 1830 and 1870, tens of thousands of pioneers hit the trail in covered wagons, leaving behind everything they had ever known and heading for an unknown future in the American West.  Many of these pioneers were children and young people.  Here are the moving stories of these young pioneers, told in their own words through letters home, diaries, and memoirs.  Their writings provide a window into what life on the trail was truly like. (Ages 10 and up)

Winner of 2004 Spur Award for Best Juvenile Nonfiction Book. WESTERN WRITERS OF AMERICA

Winner of 2005 Young Reader Award in recognition of a notable contribution to the documentation of life in the United States. THE COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA

Selected for the 2009 California Collections. CALIFORNIA READERS

Selected as a 2004 Distinguished Book by the ASSOCIATION OF CHILDREN'S LIBRARIANS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

2004 Literary Award Finalist in Children's Literature category. PEN CENTER USA

2004 WILLA Literary Award Finalist in Children/Young Adult category. WOMEN WRITING THE WEST

" . . . a significant achievement in non-fiction for young adults. . . . Readers come away with a clear sense of the beauty, tragedy, fear, and work endured by those traveling the major westward trails." ALAN Review (Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE-National Council of Teachers of English)

" . . . exemplary.  Clear prose and a passion for her subject are evident throughout this superb volume. Maps, archival photographs and other period illustrations, informative captions, and many sidebars make fascinating reading.  . . . A model of fine history writing." KIRKUS REVIEWS, Starred Review

" . . . a terrific account of the opening of the American West as recorded in the diaries and recollections of mostly teenage pioneers . . . and an epilogue about what happened to many of the people quoted; with a helpful bibliography of adult and children's books." NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

" . . . the reader can actually feel the emotions . . . of the pioneers.   Reading some of the letters moved me to tears. I can't think of a better resource book for students writing about the West, and it should be included in all school libraries. What a wonderful book to own." PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY/CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

" . . . this book gives a new perspective to a familiar topic. . . . It is the youthful point of view that makes this book unique and enjoyable." VOICES OF YOUTH ADVOCATES MAGAZINE, 2004 Nonfiction Honor List

" . . . spins a dramatic story of life on the trail. For young people, the trip was often filled with fun and excitement-no school other than casual private study and reading, beautiful scenery, and nightly gatherings around campfires to play guitars and fiddles, sing, and dance . . .unique primary-source material." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

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