zenithharpink's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I was worried details would be glossed over as this is a children's book, but I was pleasantly surprised - if that makes sense. This story is absolutely horrific, and I can't believe what these people had to endure.
Of course I've heard of the Donner Party, but I didn't know much of the specifics, and I felt this book did a solid job of sharing known relevant details in a way that fit a young boy's diary (mostly). This was short, and. I feel like the book could have benefitted from a bit more depth, but as an introduction, this was a solid read.
I would recommend to young readers, and those looking for a very light historical fiction read.
Of course I've heard of the Donner Party, but I didn't know much of the specifics, and I felt this book did a solid job of sharing known relevant details in a way that fit a young boy's diary (mostly). This was short, and. I feel like the book could have benefitted from a bit more depth, but as an introduction, this was a solid read.
I would recommend to young readers, and those looking for a very light historical fiction read.
alexblackreads's review
4.0
I'm a big fan of this series and this book is decent, although not my favorite. It's a look into the life of a boy who was part of the Donner party which was rather unfortunate. You feel for the kid and it's a really good insight into what happened for kids. I think it does a good job of really illustrating what was going on and why and the decisions being made, but all in a kid friendly way.
I think it was maybe a little young for the main character who was fifteen. Like maybe him being a touch younger might have helped some of the storytelling. But this was a good book and a great series.
I think it was maybe a little young for the main character who was fifteen. Like maybe him being a touch younger might have helped some of the storytelling. But this was a good book and a great series.
tjlcody's review
5.0
Gotta say, I wasn't expecting a book in this series to deal with this particular event in history (cannibalism generally doesn't come up in books targeted at this age-group), but the author pulled it off very well, especially in communicating the desperation that these people were facing at the time.
The only thing that bugged me was that the word 'damn' was censored in the book. We can allude to cannibalism, but we have to write 'damn' as 'd-mn'? (To be fair, I don't know if that was the author or the publisher that insisted, but it just seemed a little stupid given the subject matter touched upon in the book).
The only thing that bugged me was that the word 'damn' was censored in the book. We can allude to cannibalism, but we have to write 'damn' as 'd-mn'? (To be fair, I don't know if that was the author or the publisher that insisted, but it just seemed a little stupid given the subject matter touched upon in the book).
hopegirl0727's review
3.0
Always loved the Dear America books growing up. The My Name is America is the boys' version, though I don't think I actually knew any boys who read them. Just us girls who had read all the other Dear America books. I still love these books. This one was pretty good, all things considered. No romance, which was a big must when I was ten. The whole Donner Party story is weirdly fascinating, probably because cannibalism is such a gruesome and horrifying thought. Living in a mountain town, too, where the winters can get pretty nasty, I felt for those poor people, trapped in the Sierras. Still, a grisly tale. Didn't get too graphic, though, for those of you wondering if this book is still appropriate for tweens. Definitely still fine and dandy.
tsilverman's review
4.0
This was kind of a re-hashing of the Oregon Trail one but with more hardships. I thought the author handled a delicate subject pretty well. I do wish the epilogue had more information, but the historical note helped fill in the blanks.
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