Summary: This children's chapter book is book three of a voyage series featuring Joshua and family on the Oregon Trail. Written from Joshua's point of view this book focuses on his adventures in Willamette Valley and his hope of attending school. It captures the essence of his life in 1849 and the struggles and hardships he faces growing up on the dust trail.

Argument: There are many reasons why I enjoyed this children's chapter book and why I would recommend it for teachers to have in their classrooms in elementary schools. First, I love the formatting and structure of this chapter book. I enjoyed reading it like a diary and witnessing the narrator's first hand thoughts and ideas as he has them. Young readers will love opening up this book and seeing the text not separated by chapters but actual dates and times like a journal. Secondly, I enjoyed this book for its male perspective and point of view. I think it is very rare to find children's books where the main character/narrator is a male. It is important for young boys and girls to read male perspective books to connect with them and learn about the opposite gender. Lastly, I enjoyed this book for its information and historical note with real photographs in the back of the book. For example, in this section there is information on President James K. Polk with an actual photograph of a map of the Oregon Trail. This section truly helps children connect what they just read to actual facts and historical accounts. It brings them deeper into the time period and opens them up to new perspectives and ideas.
The main message or theme of this chapter book is to inform students of what life was like on the Oregon Trail and the adventures and hardships families faced trying to make a living and survive off the land. Through the eyes of one young boy, readers are able to take a look into the past and connect with the individuals of that time period. ( )