Recommended Reading - For Young Readers










	If you are a young reader (or perhaps an adult in a childish mood) with an interest in the history of the American west and the overland emigrants, you may enjoy these books.

Coyote Stories of the
Montana Salish Indians
traditional (1999; originally published in '81)
Salish Kootenai College Press/Montana Historical Society Press - $9.95
ISBN 0-917298-61-6

Three traditional tales of Coyote, the trickster god, were recounted by Salish elders and written to a fourth grade level so they could be shared with children around the world.

My Name Is York
Elizabeth van Steenwyk, 1997
Iillustrated by Bill Farnsworth
Northland Publishing - $14.95
ISBN 0-87358-650-6

A richly illustrated children's book written from the perspective of York, the slave of William Clark and the only African-American on the Lewis & Clark expedition. A fine book for beginning readers and an effective means of opening a discussion about slavery and racism with inquisitive youngsters.

Stout-Hearted Seven
Neta Lohnes Frazier, 1984
Northwest Interpretive Association - $4.95
ISBN 0-914019-22-8

Stout-Hearted Seven is a dramatized account of the Sager siblings, seven children who were orphaned on the Oregon Trail and adopted by missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. Though the story is fictionalized so it reads in the form of a novel, the tale it tells is quite true, and Seven is used as a teaching tool in many Oregon classrooms.

The Boy's Own Book
William Clarke, 1829
Applewood Books - $12.95
ISBN 1-55709-505-1

In the days before video games, this book was one of the best home entertainment units on the market. The Boy's Own Book contains "how-to" lessons on everything from swimming to magic tricks, and like The Girl's Own Book, it includes an extensive selection of riddles and rebusses.

The Girl's Own Book
Lydia Maria Child, 1834
Applewood Books - $12.95
ISBN 1-55709-134-X

This remarkable little tome combines practical advice on housekeeping, useful experiments in domestic science (did you know you can restore color to a faded rose with sulphur?), and a surprisingly entertaining array of riddles, word games, and other conundrums meant to sharpen the minds of young ladies.

"Narrative of a Journey" by John Kirk Townsend Toward the Setting Sun
Mary Barmeyer O'Brien, 1999
Falcon Publishing (TwoDot), $8.95
ISBN 1-56044-841-5

This book chronicles the pioneer experiences of ten girls and young women on the overland trails. For some, the journey west was a grand adventure; for others, the emigrant road was full of trials and tragedies that shaped their entire lives.

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	Coyote Stories of the Montana Salish Indians traditional (1999; originally published in '81) Salish Kootenai College Press/Montana Historical Society Press - $9.95 ISBN 0-917298-61-6 Three traditional tales of Coyote, the trickster god, were recounted by Salish elders and written to a fourth grade level so they could be shared with children around the world.
	My Name Is York Elizabeth van Steenwyk, 1997 Iillustrated by Bill Farnsworth Northland Publishing - $14.95 ISBN 0-87358-650-6 A richly illustrated children's book written from the perspective of York, the slave of William Clark and the only African-American on the Lewis & Clark expedition. A fine book for beginning readers and an effective means of opening a discussion about slavery and racism with inquisitive youngsters.
	Stout-Hearted Seven Neta Lohnes Frazier, 1984 Northwest Interpretive Association - $4.95 ISBN 0-914019-22-8 Stout-Hearted Seven is a dramatized account of the Sager siblings, seven children who were orphaned on the Oregon Trail and adopted by missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. Though the story is fictionalized so it reads in the form of a novel, the tale it tells is quite true, and Seven is used as a teaching tool in many Oregon classrooms.
	The Boy's Own Book William Clarke, 1829 Applewood Books - $12.95 ISBN 1-55709-505-1 In the days before video games, this book was one of the best home entertainment units on the market. The Boy's Own Book contains "how-to" lessons on everything from swimming to magic tricks, and like The Girl's Own Book, it includes an extensive selection of riddles and rebusses.
	The Girl's Own Book Lydia Maria Child, 1834 Applewood Books - $12.95 ISBN 1-55709-134-X This remarkable little tome combines practical advice on housekeeping, useful experiments in domestic science (did you know you can restore color to a faded rose with sulphur?), and a surprisingly entertaining array of riddles, word games, and other conundrums meant to sharpen the minds of young ladies.
	Toward the Setting Sun Mary Barmeyer O'Brien, 1999 Falcon Publishing (TwoDot), $8.95 ISBN 1-56044-841-5 This book chronicles the pioneer experiences of ten girls and young women on the overland trails. For some, the journey west was a grand adventure; for others, the emigrant road was full of trials and tragedies that shaped their entire lives.