(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Scott Allred & Gregory Proch. This latest How to Get Rich book is a fictitious first-person account of an almost-sixteen-year-old cowboy in the 1870s on his first cattle drive. The text details a stampede, conflicts with farmers and greedy ranchers, and encounters with Native Americans. Illustrations, photographs of real people, journals, maps, ledgers, and other "artifacts" enhance the you-are-there approach. An afterword helps sort truth from fiction. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Scott Allred & Gregory Proch. This companion to How to Get Rich in the California Gold Rush provides an engaging and clever recounting of a trip westward during the 1850s by the fictitious William Reed. Told through illustrations, photographs, journal entries, ledgers, and other "artifacts," the you-are-there approach will help young people understand the hardships and experiences of early American pioneers. Reading list, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Scott Allred. This lively, humorous "account" by a fictional New Englander of his trip to California in search of gold is chock-full of illustrations, facts, advice, and faux artifacts and letters. The text is delivered in a deadpan, period-appropriate manner. Well-designed and appealing, this is a surefire way to make history come alive for young readers. Reading list, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee