Children's Books About Our American West

COWBOY BOOTS BOOKPLATES (Sample available)
art by Geraktv. Condition: NEW package of 10 bookplates made by pacaritambo books. The peel-off label stock is heavier than most bookplate materials and is matte and not glossy. We can also personalize the bookplates if you like - email us the name you want on the bookplate. They are as perfect as possible, and we feel the subject matter is much different than you can get anywhere else. 2.5" H x 3.50" W. Content: Brown cowboy books with spurs highlight this "weathered" orange-brown background - you can also see a Stetson and a cow skull - all of which represent the American Old West. Any questions or for a sample, click here to email us.
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ANGEL OF THE ALAMO: A True Story of Texas [SIGNED BY AUTHOR]
by Lisa Waller Rogers. Color illustrations by Ann Hollis Rife. Condition: Gently pre-read, IF at all, 2000 Benson (Austin) hardcoer (pictorial boards - no DJ issued), no printing given. Content: The story of Andrea Castanon (Villaneuva?) from her birth to her move from Mexico south of the Rio Grande to Mexico North of the Rio Grande (Laredo and then San Antonio). She claimed to be a survivor of the Alamo where she cared for Jim Bowie and was in the room when the Mexican soldiers killed him on his bunk. While there were many survivors of the Alamo other than Mrs. Dickinson and her daughter, no one could ever prove or disprove Mrs. Castanon's claims. The State of Texas later gave her a pension for her work at the Alamo and her many acts of kindness before and after the Alamo. Questions welcome. [1 copy available.]
$ 11.50 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

BAD RIVER BOYS: A Meeting of the Lakota Sioux with Lewis and Clark
by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve. Wonderful color illustrations and wrap-around cover art by Bill Farnsworth. Condition: NEW 2005 Holiday House hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Content: Sneve, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, offers a fictionalized account of a contentious encounter between Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery and a Lakota tribe. After three Lakota boys spot a boat approaching their camp, they swim out to meet the arrivals and discover that the travelers are not the French traders they're accustomed to; they are Americans who are unschooled in Lakota customs and have an unreliable translator. Over the following days, the negotiations between the Lakota and the explorers grow tense and even explosive, until a Lakota chief is barely able to prevent bloodshed. Sneve's narrative is long, and the slow pacing of the words sometimes feels at odds with the story's dramatic action, which is depicted in sweeping, feathery oil paintings. Still, Sneve tells a rare story from a Native American perspective that casts the famous expedition in an unflattering light and emphasizes how easily meaning can be lost in translation. A historical note and glossary of Lakota words are included. Excellent! Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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BANDANNAS, CHAPS, AND TEN-GALLON HATS (Life in the Old West series)
by Bobbie Kalman. The color illustrations plus the B&W era photos remind one of a DK history book. Condition: NEW 1999 Crabtree large soft cover, no printing given. Content: This series shows the settlers' homes, clothing, and way of life and the changes they represented to the native population. Good coverage of each topic will make these books useful for research [1 copy available]
$ 6.78 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

BUFFALO HUNT
by Russell Freedman. B&W era artwork and drawings illustrate. Condition: NEW 1992 Scholastic soft cover edition, 10th printing. Tiny, tiny edge wear. Content: By supplying food and raw materials closely linked with survival, the buffalo (American bison) was the most essential animal to the Indians of the Great Plains of North America. The migration of the buffalo ruled the rhythm of the Indians' daily lives, and the spirit of this sacred beast was incorporated into sacred rituals and tribal lore. A successful hunter became a man of influence and importance. Freedman has written a gripping account of the sacred relationship between the Indians and the buffalo, whose slaughter by whites assured the destruction of the Indian way of life. Illustrated throughout with reproductions of paintings and drawings by 19th century artist-adventurers, this book tells a poignant tale about a once-indomitable animal and the independent people who were its hunters. Grades 7 and up. [2 copies available]
$ 2.98 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

CHILDREN OF THE WILD WEST
by Russell Freedman. B&W era photos illustrate. Condition: NEW 1983 Clarion soft cover (c. 1993), 19th printing. Perfect. Content: With a focus on children's experience of the American frontier history from the 1840s to the early 1900s, Russell Freedman tells about the hardships of early pioneers on their way west as well as their everyday life after they had settled down in Oregon, California, or other western states. One chapter of the book is dedicated to the native inhabitants of the western territory -- the American Indians. Two other interesting chapters tell about frontier schools and how games, parties, and celebrations made the hard daily life more bearable for children and adults alike. Dozens of excellent, large-sized photos illustrate the author's excellent description of pioneer life. Freedman's first chapter even gives an overview of the work of frontier photographers. While the well-researched book is aiming at younger readers, I still recommend "Children Of The Wild West" for every reader interested in basic facts of the American frontier history. Freedman's style of writing is entertaining as well as educating. Grades 7 and up. [1 copy available]
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CONESTOGA WAGONS
by Richard Ammon. Color illustrations and wrap-around cover art by Bill Farnsworth. Condition: UNREAD 2000 Holiday House hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, first printing. Gift inscription on loose endpage and the DJ has been price-clipped. However, a nice insert from the Historical Society about the wagons. Content: The history of the "wagon that won the West" - so to speak - from invention to the American Revolution to the treks Westward. Not your everyday history subject for kids, but a fascinating one - and a nice change. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST
by Russell Freedman. B&W era photos illustrate. Condition: NEW 1985 Clarion soft cover edition, 23rd printing (c. 2000). Content: Freedman's careful research and inviting texts have made his nonfiction can't-miss titles in homes and libraries. Here is a sequel to Children of the Wild and the author's other award winners. He has selected over 50 photos from the Library of Congress and state archives to illustrate his chronicles of life on the range. Cowboys, readers discover, were really boys. Many were teenagers, a few "old hands" were in their early 20s; and they were responsible for driving great herds across the plains in the 1800s. Freedman describes the buckaroos' clothes and equipment, how they passed the days on the ranch and on the trail, during the big roundups, etc. There were black and Indian cowboys as well as whites, all working hard together. Although these storied riders of the purple sage are different from the gun-totin', steely-eyed movie types, they are as exciting and interesting to meet and learn about here. One feels wistful when the book ends with a lament from a man who remembers: "I would know an old cowboy in hell with his hide burnt off." He says the fellows punching cows today couldn't match their predecessors, independent and proud, who sang as they earned a tough dollar, "I've roamed the Texas prairies,/ I've followed the cattle trail;/ I've rid a pitchin' pony/ Till the hair come off his tail." Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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COWGIRL MEGAN (Magic Attic Club)
by Trisha Magraw. Color illustrations by Janice Leotti & Rich Grote. Condition: NEW 1996 Magic Attic Press hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ. Perfect condition. NOT a remainder. Content: Megan and her three best friends find a golden key that unlocks a neighbor's attic where they discover a trunk full of wonderful outfits and a mirror that transports them into the past. On this trip, Megan goes back to the old wild west show and mets Annie Oakley and Kate, an expert stunt rider who was blinded in an accident. Kate teaches Megan to ride her horse and to perform the stunts. In turn, Megan helps Kate - but how? Neat bit of "historical fiction" for the younger set.
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COWGIRLS
by Ubete Tomb. B&W illustrations for coloring by Nancy Conkle. Condition: UNREAD 1996 Bellerophon Books soft cover, no printing given. Content: Includes stories ranging from those of the earliest working cow women to those of Buffalo Bill's troop to movie queens and rodeo stars to Wild Horse Annie, who worked to save the wild mustangs. Entertaining biographies and line drawings of the cowgirls and their horses to color are included. Fun and educational. [1 copy available]
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DAILY LIFE IN A COVERED WAGON
by Paul Erickson. Color photos of artifacts, color drawings, color maps, and a few B&W era photos illustrate. Condition: NEW c. 2001 Puffin large soft cover, 7th printing. Tiny shelf wear bottom front cover corner. Content: In 1853, the Larkin family loaded their covered wagon and headed west on the Oregon trail in search of a new life. How did they do it? What did they eat? How did they dress? How did they survive sickness or attacks from cattle thieves? Drawing on diaries and letters, and illustrated with photos of actual objects from the past, Daily Life in a Covered Wagon explores what life was really like on the wagon train. Ages 9 - 12. [1 copy available]
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GOING WEST
by Jean Van Leeuwen. Beautiful soft color paintings by Thomas B. Allen. Wonderful paper. Condition: NEW 1999 Puffin soft cover, third printing. Content: "One day in early spring we packed everything we had into our wagon, tied our milk cow Sadie on behind, and set out to find a new home. Going West." Narrated by seven-year-old Hannah, so begins this haunting evocation of times past. Although Van Leeuwen sets forth a representative pioneer tale, her story of one indomitable family is rich with particulars--the hailstorm that ruins the first vegetable crop, the wildflowers that bloom "in mounds of pink and lavender and blue, like soft pillows," the neighbor who brings to Hannah's cabin his flute and eventually his new wife. Into a gentle text brimming with family warmth and love, Van Leeuwen ( Dear Mom, You're Ruining My Life ; the Oliver and Amanda Pig series) packs a wealth of emotional moments--as when Mama lies down in the tall prairie grass and sighs, "Oh my, this is a lonesome land." Allen's ( In Coal Country ) scumbled, subdued pastel drawings, on sepia stock, masterfully conjure up the expanse of land and feelings. Like pages torn from a frontier journal, stirring sketches and lyrical text form a moving tribute to the brave families to whom the book is dedicated. Ages 5-9. [1 copy available]
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I HAVE HEARD OF A LAND (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book) [Inscribed by Author]
by Joyce Carol Thomas. Beautiful soft award-winning color illustrations by Floyd Coooper. Condition: PLEASE READ. INSCRIBED BY AUTHOR. UNREAD 1997 HarperCollins hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), third printing. DJ shows light edge wear and has the seal of the Coretta Scott King Award. Inscribed on top of title page. Content: Inspired by her own family's history, Thomas's stirring picture book explores the little-known experiences of African American pioneers who settled in Oklahoma during the late 1800s. This moving, poetic account of a brave black woman who stakes a claim "where the cottonwood trees are innocent/ Where the coyote's call is a lullaby at night/ And the land runs on forever" offers a new perspective on an era otherwise well-documented in picture books and school texts. In almost palpable imagery, Thomas describes the natural beauty of a bold new frontier as well as the hopeful, strong and passionate people who created new lives there and realized their dreams. In his third collaboration with Thomas, Cooper (Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea, Gingerbread Days), an Oklahoma native, completes the mood with his signature grainy, dreamy oil-wash portraits. His landscapes, dotted with trees, crops and cabins, glow in soft pink, yellow and brown hues. Scenes of a girl soaring on a homemade swing, neighbors worshipping in the open air and building a log house are particularly uplifting. The book stands alone as a pleasant slice of historical fiction, but will also hold much appeal for teachers and students. Thomas's author's note about the book's origins adds a special resonance to the proceedings. Ages 7-11. [1 copy available]
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INTO THE UNKNOWN: Major Powell's River Journey (Highlights frm American History series)
by Peter Anderson. Great color illustrations by Tom McFarland. Large color map included of the journey. Condition: NEW 1992 Falcon Press soft cover, no printing given. I believe this book to be a later printing. Content: In 1869, ten men launched their small wooden boats on a journey into the unknown - a journey into a tangle of mysterious canyons that wee still just blank spaces on the map of the West. Rumor had it that these canyons were more than a mile deep and hid thundering waterfalls and giant whirlpools. Many people believed these deep gorges cut by the Green and Colorado rivers were impossible to navigate by boat. Still, these men forget on, led by a one-armed Civil War veteran named John Wesley Powell. After months of hardship and adventure, Powell and his men would conquer one of the most awe-inspiring wonders of the world - the Grand Canyon. Ages 8+. [1 copy available]
$ 4.59 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

KIDDING AROUND SANTA FE: A Young Person's Guide to the City
by Susan York. 3-color maps and illustrations by Sally Blakemore. Condition: NEW 1991 John Muir Publications (Santa Fe), first printing. Tiny shelf wear. Content: Santa Fe is an ancient city - and I can attest tht all of these attractions are still here from the 1991 publication date. This book offers cultural and historical information about Santa Fe and describes a variety of sites of interest to young people. Chapters: Bienvenidos/Welcome; Yesterday (history); End of the Trail; P-P-Pots, Papooses, & Puccini; Planes, Trains & Posole; Burros, Birds & Bugs; Kivas, Koshares & Kachinas; Good Sports; Hiking; Outer Limits; Adios/Goodbye; Year-Round Calendar & Index. [1 copy available]
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THE LEGEND OF JIMMY SPOON (Great Episodes series) (Movie Wind River)
by Kristiana Gregory. Greg Shed cover art. B&W photo of Chief Washakie. Condition: NEW 1993 Scholatic soft cover, second printing. Content: This story is based on the life of Elijah Nicholas ("Nick") Wilson, for whom Wilson, Wyoming, is named. Twelve-year-old Jimmy Spoon years for the life of adventure he is certain a horse would bring. So when two Shoshoni boys offer him a horse on condition he ride with them to their camp, Jimmy sneaks away from his family in Salt Lake City to follow the boys. But the journey is harder and much loner than he imagined, and when Jimmy arrives at the Shoshoni camp he discovers that he is expected to stay - as the son of the chief's mother. Inspired by the memoirs of a white man (Nick Wilson) who actually lived with Chief Washakie's tribe as a boy in the mid-1800s, this book is a compelling tale of adventure and coming of age. Jimmy (AKA Nick) later became a Pony Express Rider. The 1998 movie based on Nick's life is Wind River and was directed by Tom Shell and starred Blake Heron as Nick, A Martinez, Russell Means (fascinating man), Wes Studi, Karen Allen, and Peter Yellow John. My daughter loves this movie - and she's 40! Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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LEWIS & PAPA: Adventure on the Santa Fe Trail
by Barbara Joosse. Wonderful soft color illustrations capturing the colors of the West - by Jon Van Zyle. Condition: Gently pre-read 1999 Chronicle hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket0, first printing. No problems - just pre-read. Content: In this moving picture book, a father and son journey across the Santa Fe Trail to make their fortune. Their wagon is filled with goods that they will sell when they reach their destination. Their adventures are recounted in a straightforward narrative and the simple prose underscores the drama of the situations they confront. Together they battle physical and emotional hardships and in the process discover one another's strengths and vulnerabilities. The book ends, "And so it was that Papa taught Lewis to be a man...and Lewis taught Papa. And that was the real fortune." The evocative oil paintings, which cover two-thirds of each double-page spread, reflect a sense of history as well as the richness of the story. The text is printed on brown-tinted backgrounds that resemble aged paper. In addition to the endpaper maps that show the Santa Fe Trail in its entirety, occasional spot maps pinpoint locations and mark the pair's progress throughout the narrative. Historical notes and a glossary are appended. The exciting story, strong father/son bond, positive portrayals of males as resilient and sensitive, and striking illustrations come together to create a memorable work. [1 copy available]
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LOS OJOS DEL TEJEDOR - THE EYES OF THE WEAVER - Plus - CHIMAYO VALLEY TRADITIONS (2 for 1)
by Christina Ortega. Wonderful color illustrations by Patricio Garcia. "Chimayo Valley Traditions" is illustrated with B&W photos and drawings. Condition: NEW c. 2000 Clear Light large soft cover, second printing. Tiny edge wear. Content: This is an autobiographical work. Cristina Ortega shares with children her memories of visits with her grandfather who taught her how to weave when she was ten years old. Chimayo is a northern New Mexico village with roots in early Spanish Colonial times. It has long been famous for its unique Chimayo weavings and for an old adobe Catholic Chapel known as El Sancturio. Reviewer: "is a wonderful regional story based on the author's youth. She is a descendent of the Ortega family of Chimayo. The Ortega family has been weaving in the small, rural community of Chimayo for more than eight generations and the quality of their rugs and blankets is well known. They own a store in Chimayo and in several other locations where their Hispanic style rugs and blankets are sold in many sizes. Chimayo is a mountain community north of Santa Fe. This book beautifully describes Hispanic traditions and the importance of teaching the children these skills. Ten year old Cristina loves going to her grandparents' house, but she is particularly nervous about this trip. She knows that she is going to spend a week there to learn how to weave and is filled with anxiety over weaving as well as her grandfather, and she doesn't speak Spanish as well as she'd like. Her mother suggests that her cousin, who speaks better Spanish, should join her and their grandparents, and that makes Cristina feel more confident about her visit. This delightful book moves beyond learning to weave on the loom. Cristina weaves in her own memories of Hispanic culture through other activities during this visit. Spanish words and phrases are sprinkled as regional seasoning, adding depth to the flavor of her story. A glossary of these words is found at the back to help non-Spanish speakers navigate their way through this book. Phrases are translated in the text of the book. In addition to stumbling with her grandfather's Spanish, she also picks regional vegetables from the garden and cooks traditional New Mexican foods, which also contributes to the fullness of the text." The book Chimayo Valley Traditions tells the history of the village of Chimayo and is more for adults. [1 copy available]
$ 15.29 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

MUSTANG CANYON (Historical Fiction - of sorts)
by Jonathan London. Color illustrations by Daniel San Souci. Condition: Very Good 2002 Candlewick Press hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, first printing. Intended for (and marked by) a school library, but never checked out. It has, however, been gently pre-read. Content: The story of a very young pinto colt and his mother, father, and their band as they elude capture and remain free in the desert canyons of the Southwest. Lovely story and wonderful watercolor illustrations.
$ 3.59 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

NEW HOPE
text and color watercolor illustrations by Henri Sorensen. Condition: NEW 1996 Lothrop, Lee hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Content: It's the archetypal immigration story: a small boy asks his grandfather how his great-great-great-grandfather Lars came with his family from Denmark more than 100 years ago "to start a new life in America." Powerful double-page-spread paintings show how Lars and his family land in New York, take a train to Minnesota, and set off in a wagon to find a home. The Indians are gone; there's just a mention of Sitting Bull in the tales around the campfire on the wagon trail. When the wagon axle breaks near the banks of a river, Lars decides to stop there. Soon others join him, work and community grow, the railroad comes, and now there's a thriving town. In the style of Ted Lewin, the realistic portraits of the pioneer family are set against light-filled views of the wide plains and then scenes of the crowded streets. Many kids will want to go from here to their own family stories of coming to America. Questions welcome. (1 copy available)
$ 3.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

PAINTING THE WILD FRONTIER: The Art and Adventures of George Catlin
by Susanna Reich. B&W photos & era paintings illustrate. Condition: This is an Uncorrected Proof - a Review Copy. Everything is here but the full-color paintings. 2008 Clarion soft cover. As of this date, there is no softcover edition of this book. Content: Using primary sources, including Catlin's own diaries and letters, Reich helps readers understand the importance of the artist's work and to see him as a man in his own time. The personal documents expose both selfless and selfish sides of his character. At times, he was sensitive to the Native peoples and their cultures, but he also used them for his own gain. Readers also see the artist as a neglectful family man and less-than-successful businessman; however, above all, Catlin is seen as an adventurer. Many of his paintings illustrate the text and add to a sense of excitement. Other period works are also included. All are well captioned with additional identification and information that ties in to the text. Quotations are carefully documented in chapter footnotes. The author's note explains her choice of terminology and spelling as well as her efforts to avoid cultural bias in writing this book. [1 copy available.]
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PECOS BILL
retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. Color illustrations. Condition: UNREAD 1987 Mulberry soft cover, first printing. tiny edge wear. Content: The anecdotes associated with Texas' fabled cowboy hero burst from the pages in rapid succession, Kellogg's robust illustrations enlarging and enriching the choppy, energetic text that is seasoned with Texan expressions. In dramatizing Pecos Bill's life story, Kellogg also conveys a sense of place, of the rugged, expansive physical beauty of the American West in pioneer days. Yellow-oranges and blues dominate the scenes, in tones that range from dust-pale to midnight blue. Skillful framing and alternating of perspectives enhance readers' involvement: vast panoramas in which people are dwarfed by endless stretches of land and sky; double-page spreads cluttered with close-up action; breathtaking overviews, as of a tremendous herd of cattle, each steer made distinct, yet part of a near-monochromatic blend of hazy light and animal landscape. In contrast to these lavish illustrations are neatly-boxed illustrations that parallel the text, sometimes spilling from the frames when the action simply can't be contained. Kellogg's style is ideally suited to this tall taleantic, detailed, colorful, hyperbolic. K-5. Questions welcome. [1copy available]
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THE PERILOUS JOURNEY OF THE DONNER PARTY
by Marian Calabro. Great B&W era photos and drawings illustrate. Condition: NEW 2000 Scholastic large soft cover, third printing. Content: Reviewer: "This is a story about a group heading to California in April, 1846. However, bad decisions and trickery lead them to the point of starvation. To survive, they must eat those that have died along the way. The Donner Party [sic] is the most exciting nonfiction book I've read, written not as a documentary or research thing, but as an adventure story. It is, however, hard to imagine this actually happening because it seams so much like fiction. It is also written in a way that all the families, excluding the main family, the Reeds, are shoved way into the backround and seem to barely exist. I recommend this book to those that don't mind lengthy stories and the overall concept of the book. It may also work well as something to help a report or something, having all the information right there in an easier-to-read way than most forms of research. I'd recommend this book for ages 12 and higher, because of the way it is written and it's length." (Review from "A Kid") Historically accurate and detailed enough for adults to enjoy, as well. Questions welcome. [1 copy left]
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A PIONEER THANKSGIVING: A Story of Harvest Celebrations in 1841
by Barbara Greenwood. Wonderful B&W and sepia-tone illustrations by Heather Collins. Condition: NEW 2000 Kids Can Press soft cover, first printing. Content: Combining fiction and nonfiction, this dramatic story follows the Robertson family as they prepare for Thanksgiving in the year 1841. As with all Canadian pioneer families, Thanksgiving is a special day for the Robertsons, but this year they have more reasons than usual to give thanks. Each chapter of the story is enhanced by information about the pioneer period and how Thanksgiving was celebrated in the past. Children will learn about the wild harvest, harvest superstitions and how the First Peoples celebrated the harvest. The past comes alive through hands-on activities such as making a corn dolly or learning to play conkers. Historically accurate and beautifully rendered pencil illustrations make this a comprehensive resource for home or school. Also step-by-step illustrations and directions on baking bread, making a corn doll, making a weather vanehow to play theh peach-stone game, and many more activities. Great book! Questions welcome. [1 copy left]
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REFLECTIONS OF A BLACK COWBOY (Book #4 of Mountain Men series) [SIGNED COPY]
by Robert Miller. B&W illustrations by Richard Leonard. Blank bookplate inside front cover. Condition: NEW 1992 Silver Burdett Press Trade Paperback, first printing. SIGNED by Author on half-title page. Content: An old black cowboy is telling stories to his old dog about Blacks in the early history of the United States - a long-ignored area of history. This series sheds some much-needed light and avoids being preachy. The information is solid and written in an active style - aimed at and just about perfect for 6-9th grade boys. It is written in a historical fiction style, rather than a biographical style. The average story is about 20 pages long. Each story has a picture. This book features Mountain Men:: 'Esteban and the Seven Cities of Gold' - First African to enter New Mexico & Arizona as a slave to a Spanish invader; Jean Baptiste Du Sable: Founder of Chicago (Eschikagou - sound it out!); Jim Beckwourth: Mountain Man and Indian Crow Chief; and George McJunkin: Scholar and Cowboy who showed that Native Americans had been on the continent at least since 10,000 years ago. Good Bibliography. Questions welcome. [1 copy left]
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A RIGHT FINE LIFE: Kit Carson on the Santa Fe Trail (Biographical Novel/Historical Fiction)
text and color illustrations by Andrew Glass. The illustrations (oil paintings) are perfect for evoking the spirit of the old west. Maps decorate the end pages. Condition: NEW 1997 Holiday House hardcover (with reinforced binding) and DJ, first edition, first printing. Content: Noting that the "facts" reported in many books about Kit Carson are based on earlier legendary accounts, Glass spins a tall tale of his own. In this entertaining picture book for older readers, Kit Carson tells of running away as a 16-year-old to join a wagon train bound for Santa Fe. While on the trail, he keeps his head when a prairie fire causes a buffalo stampede, he amputates a man's arm to save his life, and he befriends an Indian girl who helps rid him of fleas and gives him a Cheyenne name meaning Little Chief. The full-page and double-page oil paintings, heavily textured, are as vivid and colorful as the tale. Long notes about the Santa Fe Trail as well as Carson himself add to the usefulness of this action-packed book, which will supplement more traditional histories of the period. Questions welcome. [1 copy available.]
$ 3.29 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

SAN DOMINGO: The Medicine Hat Stallion (Historical Fiction)
by Marguerite Henry. B&W illustrations by Robert Lougheed. Condition: New 1992 Aladdin Trade PB, 4th printing. Tiny edgewear. Fully illustrated with B&W drawings. Content: Set in Wyoming at the time of the pony express, Peter Lundy is given a special horse, a Medicine Hat stallion he calls San Domingo. A special bond forms between the two until Peter's father trades the little stallion. Devastated, Peter leaves home and is finally reunited with his beloved horse. Together they embark on an adventure that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.
$ 2.59 + $ 2.89 media shipping.

SANCTUARY: The Story of Three Arch Rocks
by Mary Ann Fraser. Wonderful detailed color illustrations by the Author. Also, great B&W photos of the actual expedition. Condition: UNREAD c. 1994 Henry Holt hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, first printing. Content: This is the story of the West Coast's first wildlife sanctuary as declared in 1907 by Teddy Roosevelt. An examination of the exploits of two turn-of-the-century nature photographers, William Finley and Herman Bohlman. After traveling to the Oregon coast in 1901, the men were appalled to find hunters slaughtering for sport the very birds and seals they wished to feature in their photographs. Against formidable odds, the men succeeded in camping on the rough, inhospitable islands of Three Arch Rocks for two weeks and photographing the wildlife. Their goal was to show President Theodore Roosevelt the importance of establishing the islands as a game preserve and ending the cruel hunters' games. Eventually, this happened. The book is peppered with spicy little snatches from one of the men's diaries as well as a few of their photographs. This slim volume also boasts action-packed, full-color illustrations of their daring deeds as well as abundant information on individual animals. Closing out the book is a useful, annotated list of wildlife organizations and a brief, interesting glossary. Questions welcome. [1 copy available.]
$ 6.59 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

SNOWBOUND: The Tragic Story of the Donner Party
by David Lavender. B&W photos and maps. Condition: New 1996 Scholastic edition, 6th printing. Large softcover. Tiny, tiny edgewear. Content: A precise, dispassionate, horrifying account of the Donner party's disastrous trek to California that will have readers counting their blessings. Inspired by a land speculator's highly misleading guidebook, the two large Donner families and several associates set out from Independence, Missouri, in May 1846, were trapped in the High Sierra by snowstorms in November, and after running out of food ate their dead (most of whom died of natural causes); only 48 of the 88 survived to cross the mountains. Lavender avoids the sensational (as much as that is possible) and provides a clear and concise account in which cannibalism is just one more detail. Readers will come away with a much clearer understanding of the hardships and dangers of crossing the continent by wagon train?any wagon train?in the mid-19th century. The black-and-white photographs and prints are accompanied by informative captions. The author concentrates on the portion of the group who wintered by the lake; it was from these people that attempts to go for help originated. Less attention is given to the Donners themselves, who were trapped in the meadow camp along Alder Creek, but the basic facts are here. This is an excellent addition to existing materials on the westward movement, providing a solid treatment of an event not covered at length in other books for this age group.
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THE STORY OF CALIFORNIA & HER FLAGS TO COLOR - From 1849 to Present
text by Harry Knill. B&W drawins for coloring by Alan Archambault. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1991 Bellerophon soft cover 9stapled wraps), no printing given. Light shelf wear bottom edge. Content: The text tells the story of the history of California to the space shuttle. The flags are very inventive (as fits California, IMHO) and the text interesting. Good teaching tool. [1 copy available]
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THUNDER ROSE (A Coretta Scott King Honor Book)
by Jerdine Nolan. Bright, strong, and fun color illustrations by Kadir Nelson. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 2005 Silver Whistle/Harcourt hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), third printing. Content: Thunder Rose is an African-American child born on a stormy night abuzz with booming thunder, flashing lightning, and hailing rain. Her parents are awestruck by her remarkable gifts, which include forming a ball out of lightning, speaking in full sentences minutes after her birth, and snoring through a booming, thunderous rumble. It is clear that Rose is no ordinary child. She can lift a cow over her head and almost drink it dry, and as she grows, she does incredible metalwork with scraps of iron she finds around the ranch. She uses her handiwork to restrain cattle, round up would-be rustlers, and lasso and squeeze the rain out of the clouds. She fearlessly faces down a couple of tornadoes and calms them with her "song of thunder." Nolen and Nelson offer up a wonderful tale of joy and love, as robust and vivid as the wide West. The oil, watercolor, and pencil artwork is outstanding. A splendid, colorful, and most welcome addition to the tall-tale genre. K - 3. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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TREE IN THE TRAIL
by Holling Clancy Holling. Color and B&W drawings by the Author. Condition: NEW c. 2000s Houghton Mifflin large hard cover (design boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), 39th printing. Content: This book was originally published in 1942 - and the illustrations are wonderfully typical of that era. This is a perfect book, IMHO. Reviewer: "is a story about a cottonwood sapling that stood along an ancient buffalo trail somewhere in the Great Plains. Holling writes an enriched narrative that centers on history, which involved early contact between Europeans and Native Americans, and the exchange of goods and resources that occurred between these groups of people. Holling stresses the beauty of the natural landscape and environment of the Great Plains and the Southwest region of North America, and the encounters that the people observed and experienced as a result of several technological advances - the steamboat and the Conestoga Wagon, which allowed increased contact and relations. The story takes place within a span of 300 years. From the arrival of Coronado for the search for gold in 1540 to the establishment of New Mexico, Holling tells the story of a tree that lived over hundred years, but succumbed to age and natural destruction. However, a part of the tree was revived in the form of an ox yoke that two mountain men, Buck Smith and Jed Simpson happened to carve out from a portion of her trunk, and transformed it into a beautiful yoke. The unique aspect of Holling's stories and books are that he provides little side notes in the form of illustrations that are positioned within each different chapter that provide an additional historical interpretation of Indian, French trappers, and cultural life of the people that inhabited and ventured into Taos, Santa Fe, and Kansas territory. History is a major part of the book. Holling illustrated and wrote the story, but also acknowledged his wife, Lucille Webster Holling, as a major contributor to the illustrations and research that was conducted about the trail and the map. He also credits Arthur Woodward of the Los Angeles Museum for the accuracy of the costume and ornament of Spanish Southwest and the Conestoga wagon. The story will engage the history reader as well as those curious about how Europeans and Native Americans thrived together in an environment and time in American history that was experiencing a transformation. This is a story that is sure to entertain every reader, and take each one back to a time of discovery." (Unfortunately, only 1 copy.)
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TRUE TALES OF THE WILD WEST
by Paul Robert Walker. Great detailed map of the "wild west" with other maps plus era sepai-tone photos, artwork, and drawings. Excellent! Condition: NEW 2001 National Geographic hardcover (decorated boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), no printing given. Content: This wonderful collection of true tales by a noted storyteller presents a lively, historically accurate, and often surprising picture of America’s Wild West. Period images and vivid quotes draw readers into each meticulously researched tale. Kids set out with Lewis and Clark in search of a route to the Pacific; join Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Spalding, the first white women to cross the Rocky Mountains; ride with the Pony Express; shoot it out with the Earps and the Clantons; head north to strike it rich in the Klondike; and share all kinds of other exciting adventures as Americans push westward. Arranged chronologically, the unfolding tales give readers a highly entertaining history of the American West. Ages 9+. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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WANTED A FEW BOLD RIDERS: A Story of the Pony Express
by Darice Bailer. Great color illustrations by Tom Antonishak. Condition: NEW 1996 Soundprints/Smithsonian soft cover, first printing. Content: When Kevin hears a man saying, "Ready to leave Friday's Station? It's time to saddle up and head out!," he stands in utter amazement for he had just been viewing a video about the Pony Express at the National Postal Museum, and now he is suddenly a part of the action. Not only has Kevin become a Pony Express Rider, but he has become the bravest of all the Riders - Warren Upson, better known as Boston. His mission is to take the sad news to Sacramento that the Civil War had begun. His duties are extraordinary - to race the telegraph wires and to endure blizzards, floods, wolves, exhaustion and hunger. Rider and pony formed a courageous team that rode 1966 miles in a relay action from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. Although the existence of the Pony Express was a brief 18 months, its contribution to American history was significant. It ushered in the transcontinental telegraph and the transcontinental railroad. Grades 2 - 5. [1 copy available]
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WAY OUT WEST LIVES A COYOTE NAMED FRANK (Fiction)
text and color illustrations by Jillian Lund. Condition: NEW 1993 Puffin soft cover, 7th printing. Content: Distant indigo mesas, golden-brown sand, sun-baked rocks and green cacti suggest the landscape of the American Southwest in this unassuming, beguiling debut. The eponymous Frank, recognizable by his gray fur and orange-patterned bandanna, chases a rabbit and a skunk with his coyote friend Larry, investigates a tortoise and a gila monster, and flirts with a female coyote. The decorative illustrations and minimal, matter-of-fact text share a forthright simplicity (this very directness, in fact, produces a quiet humor), while the easygoing characters and warm earth tones exude affability. Lund takes a coloring-book approach, neatly filling bold black outlines with solid, almost imperceptibly shaded hues. Such occasional details as a horned toad's spots and a smoothly curving rattlesnake's scales break up the art's overall blockiness. Western cliches are put to droll use here, and readers -- particularly the very young--may respond favorably to the uncomplicated images and Frank's playful expressions (especially the mischievous glint in those shifty eyes). Too cool for words! Ages 4-7. [1 copy available]
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THE YOUNGEST DROVER: A True Story About Growing Up on a Cattle Drive
by Ron Carter. Cover art and B&W drawings by Cathy Morrison. Condition: NEW 1994 Harbour soft cover, first printing. Content: Although this is based on the true adventures of Melvin William Carter, the names have been changed for the story. I supposed I'd call this a "biographical novel." Based on the experiences of Carter's father and reading like a novel, this coming-of-age narrative recounts the true story of 15-year-old Henry, who participated in a winter cattle drive from Raymond, Alberta, to Sweetwater, Montana, in 1923. When a severe drought and an early winter leave prairie grasses too short to feed the stock through the winter, local ranchers decide to thin the herds and cut their losses. Nine men and Henry accompany nearly 3,000 head of cattle through blizzards and cold to Sweetwater, where Henry and three others continue with the herd by rail to the Chicago stockyards. The contrasts between life in the big city and on the ranch do not escape Henry's notice, and he returns home both enlightened and matured by his travels. Adventure enthusiasts will appreciate the author's attention to characters and local color. Questions welcome. (1 copy available)
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