Meet the Wards on the Oregon Trail

Children's Literature - Kathleen Karr

Part of Benchmark's "Early American Family" series, this is a lightly fictionalized account of the real family Ward who made the Oregon Trail crossing to California in 1853. It's an elementary introduction to the westering genre which covers the basics, while adding music and lyrics to a period song, along with a recipe, and a selection of nicely reproduced photos and illustrations.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-These books are based on fact and depict the lives of the Drake family, who moved to the unsettled Kentucky frontier in 1781, and the Ward family, who traveled on the Oregon Trail in the 1850s. The Drakes' eldest son, Dan, dreamed of being a doctor, but was expected to follow in his father's footsteps and become a farmer. The Wards' youngest son suffered from chronic illness and was so weakened by the journey across the United States that he almost died, but was saved by herbs the family got from the Indians they met along the way. These personal experiences not only make the books more interesting, but also allow readers to identify with and understand the experiences of their ancestors. While there is some blurring between fact and fiction, and some of the vocabulary is too difficult for the intended audience, the books will appeal to young readers. They have attractive full-color illustrations and photographs of reconstructed sites, detailed indexes, and lists for further reading and historical places to visit, as well as songs and recipes from the time period. Although there are numerous books, fiction and nonfiction, on the early American experiences, these titles will satisfy school assignments and fill requests for recreational reading.-Ann M. Burlingame, North Regional Library, Raleigh, NC