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32 pp.
| Whitman
| January, 2019
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8075-2305-6$16.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Claire Almon.
It's 1895, and Mary Fields wants the stagecoach driver job she sees advertised around Cascade, Montana. Unfortunately, she has two strikes against her: she's black and female. (Driving a stagecoach, which can mean run-ins with thieves, is considered man's work.) Charles tells Fields's triumphant story with aplomb, and illustrator Almon captures the Wild West's earth tones and Fearless Mary's arms-akimbo determination.
(4)
4-6
Wild West series.
This series presents condensed information about the development of the American West in the 1800s (e.g., the Louisiana Purchase; building the Transcontinental Railroad) and the people who helped shape this region. Although details are limited, these books may inspire a deeper curiosity about this colorful historical period. Sidebars, maps, captioned archival photographs and paintings, and back matter activity prompts add interest. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Wild West titles: Famous Lawmen, The Oregon Trail, The Pony Express, The Louisiana Purchase, Notorious Outlaws, Women of the American West, and The Transcontinental Railroad.
48 pp.
| Enslow
| August, 2012
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7660-4010-6$21.26 New ed. (1996)
(4)
4-6
Courageous Heroes of the American West series.
All originally published under different titles, the updated editions of these brief biographies, written in short, easy-to-read sentences, outline the lives of adventurous individuals who helped shape the American West during the nineteenth century. Black-and-white photographs and drawings add some interest to the text-heavy pages; the lurid cover illustrations are unappealing. There are four other fall 2012 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Courageous Heroes of the American West titles: Bill Pickett, Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Richard King, Sacagawea, and Sam Houston.
48 pp.
| Enslow
| August, 2012
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7660-4006-9$21.26 New ed. (1997)
(4)
4-6
Courageous Heroes of the American West series.
All originally published under different titles, the updated editions of these brief biographies, written in short, easy-to-read sentences, outline the lives of adventurous individuals who helped shape the American West during the nineteenth century. Black-and-white photographs and drawings add some interest to the text-heavy pages; the lurid cover illustrations are unappealing. There are four other fall 2012 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Courageous Heroes of the American West titles: Bill Pickett, Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Richard King, Sacagawea, and Sam Houston.
40 pp.
| Holiday
| October, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-1601-1$16.95
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Susan Guevara.
Calamity Jane, Annie Oakley, and Belle Starr are three of the fifteen tough-minded Wild West women featured in this book. Winter is so unapologetically enthusiastic about his subjects that it's hard to find fault with occasional editorializing ("Calamity Jane reinvented what it was to be a woman"). Guevara's portraits are sure and unflinching, just like the women they depict. Timeline. Bib.
112 pp.
| Houghton
| July, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-618-73738-3$18.00
(2)
4-6
George-Warren opens with a description of the lives of women in the Old West, using quotations from their writings. In topically organized chapters, the volume then discusses these outlaws, show girls, rodeo stars, etc., concluding with an overview of twenty-first-century cowgirls. Augmented with archival images and photographs, the book may spur horse-loving readers on to cowgirl careers of their own. Bib., ind.
Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2010
48 pp.
| Enslow
| November, 2008
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7660-3176-0$23.93 New ed. (1992)
(4)
4-6
Outlaws and Lawmen of the Wild West series.
These slight biographies "drawn from firsthand reports" combine known facts about Old West outlaws and lawmen with the many legends about their exploits, leaving questions about historical accuracy. Nevertheless, readers will be drawn into the books, especially when their subjects' lives overlap. These new editions have been revised and updated, including more dramatic covers. Many photographs appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Outlaws and Lawmen of the Wild West titles: Belle Starr, Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy, Jesse James, Wild Bill Hickok, and Wyatt Earp.
48 pp.
| Enslow
| January, 2004
|
LibraryISBN 0-7660-2205-6$$18.95
(4)
4-6
Best of the West Biographies series.
This biography of Oakley--the expert sharpshooter with a heart of gold--keeps its sentences short and simple and its text full of interesting tidbits (e.g., after her hair turned gray, the "Western girl" wore a brown wig to perpetuate her youthful image). Scattered throughout the unattractive layout are archival photos outlined with olive-colored frames. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.
288 pp.
| Children's Press
| April, 1999
|
LibraryISBN 0-516-20974-4$$37.00
(3)
YA
Extraordinary People series.
In brief but lively essays, Alter profiles more than fifty notable women, including explorers and adventurers (Sacajawea, Bessie Coleman), artists and entertainers (Georgia O'Keeffe, Maria Tallchief), athletes (Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Shannon Miller), and social and political activists (Jeannette Rankin, Pat Schroeder). Organized chronologically and illustrated with black-and-white drawings and photographs, the book is noteworthy for its inclusion of many women of color. Bib., ind.
206 pp.
| Scholastic
| April, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-590-10991-X$$10.95
(3)
4-6
Dear America series.
As fourteen-year-old Libby travels west with her journalist father and the rest of her family, she describes the progress of the construction of the transcontinental railroad, as well as the friends and trials her family encounter on their journey. Historical facts are nicely integrated into the fictional text, and a historical note is appended.
32 pp.
| March, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-15-201344-X$$16.00
(3)
1-3
Illustrated by
C. F. Payne.
Bee, an orphan raising eight siblings in the West in 1893, longs to engineer the trains on which she loads freight, and one day her chance arrives. Caricatures in the illustrations effectively complement this well-told narrative. The author's note has an accompanying photograph of women railroad workers in California who inspired the story.