Westward expansion books and resources
I’ve spent some time rounding up books about pioneers and the westward expansion. This effort was in direct response to my research and subsequent decisions about the Little House on the Prairie series (see Ten Titles on Tuesday: 2/16/21 and Ten Titles on Tuesday: 2/23/21 for my initial motivation, what I learned, and my follow-up thoughts, if you have no idea what I’m talking about).
Unlike the titles I normally offer you, I have not read, nor even had all of these in my hands. That’s a risky move for me and goes against my commitment to authenticity in this newsletter, but in this case I am making an exception in order to get these to you sooner rather than later. That said, I have done my best to assess these with as critical an eye as any other books I am interested in. If there is problematic content in any of them, I am not aware of it and apologize in advance; I will update this list as I am able to read these myself. You should definitely look these over before reading them with your children.
I’m using the idea of “westward expansion” very much as a catch-all phrase, acknowledging that there are many different events, parts, and notable people of the historical era from 1800-1900, and also admitting that of course there is no way this list can be considered exhaustive. (I missed everything Texas, the Mexican-American War, and aspects of slavery. I’m sure there’s more.) I spent some time with the print resources I have as well as exploring on the internet, and this is what I came up with.
I’ve categorized by topic/event rather than age of the reader or fiction/nonfiction in an effort to drill down into specifics.
Picture books (general)
The Buffalo Storm by Katherine Applegate
Wagon Wheels by Barbara Brenner (an early reader)
Dandelions by Eve Bunting
Fearless Mary: Mary Fields, American Stagecoach Driver by Tami Charles
Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson
Stagecoach Sal: Inspired by a True Tale by Deborah Hopkinson
Going West (Little House Picture Book series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder (the Little House Picture Book series does not contain any of the harmful content of the chapter books)
Prairie Day (Little House Picture Book series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Covered Wagon, Bumpy Trails by Verla Kay
Rough, Tough Charlie by Verla Kay
Black Cowboy, Wild Horses by Julius Lester
Buffalo Bird Girl: A Hidatsa Story by S.D. Nelson
Bill Pickett: Rodeo-Ridin’ Cowboy by Andrea-Davis Pinkney
I Have Heard of a Land by Joyce Carol Thomas
Going West by Jean Van Leeuwen
Elsie’s Bird by Jane Yolen
Chapter books (general)
The Birchbark House series by Louise Erdrich
Westward To Home: Joshua's Oregon Trail Diary by Patricia Hermes (part of the My America series)
Under a Painted Sky by Stacy Lee
Prairie School by Lois Lenski
Riding Freedom by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
Meet Josephina (An American Girl) by Valerie Tripp
The Traitor by Laurence Yep (this is the fourth book in the Golden Mountain Chronicle series)
Corps of Discovery
Sacagawea by Joseph Bruchac
The Journey of York: The Unsung Hero of the Lewis and Clark Expedition by Hasan Davis
Sacagawea by Liselotte Erdrich
Lewis and Clark and Me by Laurie Myers
How We Crossed The West: The Adventures Of Lewis And Clark by Rosalyn Schanzer
Gold Rush
(I have a feeling I missed a lot in this category)
The Josefina Story Quilt by Eleanor Coerr (an early reader)
Gold Fever by Verla Kay
Nine for California by Sonia Levin
Sarah Journeys West: An Oregon Trail Survival Story by Nikki Shannon Smith (part of the Girls Survive series)
The Trail of Tears and other 19th century Indigenous history
Navajo Long Walk by Joseph Bruchac
On This Long Journey: The Journal of Jesse Smoke: A Cherokee Boy, The Trail of Tears, 1838 by Joseph Bruchac
Trail of Tears by Joseph Bruchac (an early reader)
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States For Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, adapted by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese (specifically chapters 6-8)*
Longwalker’s Journey by Beatric Harrell
Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Survival Story by Andrea L. Rogers (part of the Girls Survive series)
How I Became a Ghost: A Choctow Trail of Tears Story by Tim Tingle
Dzání Yázhí Naazbaa’: Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home by Evangeline Parsons Yazzie
*There is also an adult version of this title, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, which I highly recommend
Transcontinental railroad
Locomotive by Brian Floca
Ten Mile Day: And the Building of the Transcontinental Railroad by Mary Ann Fraser
The Great Railroad Race: The Diary of Libby West, Utah Territory 1868 by Kristiana Gregory (part of the Dear America series)
Pony Express! by Steven Kroll
Coolies by Yin and Chris Soentpiet
Dragon’s Gate by Laurence Yep (this is the third book in the Golden Mountain Chronicle series)
Reference and photography
Black Women of the Old West by William Loren Katz
Women of the West by Cathy Luchetti
Black Frontiers: A History of African American Heroes in the Old West by Lillian Schlissel*
The True West: Real Stories About Black Cowboys, Women Sharpshooters, Native American Rodeo Stars, Pioneering Vaqueros, and the Unsung Explorers, Builders, and Heroes Who Shaped the American West by Mifflin Love
Life in the West (True Book: Westward Expansion) by Teresa Domnauer
*I’ve never read it myself but have always heard great things about another of Schlissel’s books, this one for adults: Women’s Diaries of the Westward Journey
Other (not books)
“The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Westward Expansion” from The Clever Teacher is a super speedy but helpful overview of the topic
“Westward Expansion: Crash Course US History #24” YouTube video from John Green is also a good overview, jammed into about 13 minutes
I hope this list was helpful. It will live on the Can we read? website. If you have any additions, please send them my way and I will update this accordingly.