(3) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Havice. Unflappable Abigail Muchmore keeps her farm tidy in spite of Mr. West Wind's antics. But when he blows her dog into the next county, she feels that he has gone too far. Grambling gets the countrified narration just right--"Matilda Pickerel...loved sour things (she married Jasper, didn't she?)"--and Havice's watercolors, in which Mr. West Wind has the head of a regular-looking guy, are admirably understated.

Reviewer: Pamela McCuen

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Susan Havice. Fortunately for eight-year-old Sarah and her best friend Almira Ann, both their families decide to leave Missouri at the same time and join a wagon train headed for Oregon. This eloquent short novel conveys both the hardships and pleasant surprises--prized belongings jettisoned by other travelers--the pioneers found, while also telling the story of a girl in danger of losing something dearer to her than material goods could ever be.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2000