Description
"Basing her story on the published accounts of her true-life heroine, Mary Ellen Todd, Van Leeuwen describes a family's tumultuous journey along the Oregon Trail in 1852." --Publishers Weekly
With only a guide book to show them the way, the Todd family sets out from their Arkansas home on a two thousand mile trek to claim unchartered Oregon Territory. Crossing rough terrain and encountering hostile people, the Todds show their true pioneering spirit. But as winter draws near, will the Todds have the strength to complete their journey? And if they make it, will Oregon fulfill their dreams?
“This is a convincing picture of a pioneer journey that does a good job of showing the tremendous sacrifices people made to follow their dream of a better life.” –School Library Journal
About the Author
When I was growing up in the small town of Rutherford, New Jersey, I was always called a tomboy. That was because I loved riding bikes, climbing trees, and playing baseball with the boys in the neighborhood. When I finally came inside, I had another name: bookworm. I was seldom seen without a book in my hand. In the summertime, I would go to the library and come back with as many books as I could carry. I read by flashlight under the blankets when I was supposed to be sleeping. And I read in the car, even though it made me carsick.I was especially fond of reading about certain subjects. For a long time, I wished very hard for a dog, so I read all the dog stories I could find. After I finally got a dog, I moved on to horse stories and mystery stories. By the time I was in sixth grade, I felt as if I'd read every single book in our small town library. That was when I decided to write my own book. It seemed like an easy thing to do. I got myself a notebook, sharpened some pencils, and went to work. At that point I was enthralled with Anna Sewell's Black Beauty. So I decided to write a book just like it.Well, it turned out that writing a book wasn't quite as easy as I thought. By the time I got to the third chapter, I had run out of ideas for my story. And it didn't help that I didn't know anything at all about horses. (I had never taken riding lessons or even been on a horse!) So I put away my notebook and gave up my writing career at the age of eleven.Later on, after studying journalism at Syracuse University, I moved to New York City and got a job in the children's book department of a publisher. For my job I read lots of children's books and manuscripts. After awhile I decided that maybe I could try again to write a book. This time I was a little bit smarter. I wrote about things I knew about, and also took a writing class. Eventually, my first book, Timothy's Flower, was published.Since then I have written more than fifty books. Many of them have been inspired by my own two children, David and Elizabeth. When they were very small, I didn't have much time for writing. The only free time in my day was when they were taking their naps. So I began to write little stories about what they were doing and saying. These stories grew into a book, Tales of Oliver Pig. Over the years, that first book has grown into a whole series of Easy-to-Read books about Oliver and Amanda Pig. Even though my children are now grown-up, I still write from my memories of the fun we had together when they were young.In recent years I have become very interested in American history, and especially how our country was settled. This interest has led me to begin writing historical fiction. I like writing different kinds of stories: funny ones and serious ones, fantasy and real-life, stories about animals and people, children today and children who lived a long time ago. I enjoy writing for different age groups, from preschool to middle school.Now I live in an old house in Chappaqua, New York, not far from New York City. When I am not writing, I teach a Writers' Workshop for adults and visit schools to talk about books. I also volunteer in a first-grade classroom, where I help children with their writing. I enjoy working in my garden, playing tennis, and listening to music. And when I am not doing any of that, I like to read.The truth is, I am still a bookworm.
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