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Lexile/Reading Level
830L

Genre/Category
Adventure | Fiction | Historical

Historical Time Period
American West
Date
1800s
Topic
Christian | Mailorder Brides | Wagon Trains
Geographic Region
United States - America
Main Character
Man/Men
Format
Book | Ebook | Free Ebook

Reluctant Bridegroom: 1838 (The House of Winslow #7)

Author: Morris, GilbertPart of a Series: House of Winslow

The Reluctant Bridegroom begins with Sky Winslow, the son of Chris and Dove Winslow, agreeing to return East and bring a wagon train of brides to the men of Oregon City. As experienced as he is on the trail, the past hurts of an unfaithful wife and the care for a twelve-year-old son who truly needs a mother’s love make Sky an unlikely candidate for such an assignment. On the long trip from New York to Oregon, two of the women who join the wagon train will make their impact on Sky Winslow. Rebekah Jackson, in hope of finding a new start, is leaving a broken past. Rita Duvall is a dance hall girl who knows the way to break down a man’s defenses. Book 7 in the House of Winslow.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
740L

Genre/Category
Fiction | Historical

Historical Time Period
American West | Modern
Date
1800s
Topic
Oregon Trail | Orphans | Wagon Trains | Westerns
Geographic Region
United States - America
Main Character
Children
Award-Winning Book
South Carolina Book Award Nominee for Young Adult Book Award | Spur Award Nominee for Best Western Juvenile Nonfiction
Format
Book | Ebook

Devil’s Paintbox

Author: McKernan, Victoria

When orphans Aiden and Maddy Lynch first meet trailrider Jefferson J. Jackson in the spring of 1865, they’re struggling to survive on their family’s drought-ravaged Kansas farm. So when Jackson offers an escape—a 2000-mile journey across the roughest country in the world—Aiden knows it’s their only choice.

They say there are a hundred ways to die on the Oregon Trail, and the long wagon journey is broken only by catastrophe: wolf attacks, rattlesnakes, deadly river crossings, Indians, and the looming threat of smallpox, “the devil’s paint.” Through it all, Aiden and Maddy and a hundred fellow travelers move forward with a growing hope, and the promise of a new life in the Washington Territory. But one question haunts them: who will survive the journey?

In an adventure-filled and historically accurate new novel, Victoria McKernan captures both the peril and the stunning beauty of the frontier West. Shackleton’s Stowaway (“Truly thrilling” according to The Washington Post) was Victoria McKernan’s first novel for young adults. She lives in Washington, D.C..

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
1020L Recommended for 4-7 Grade

Genre/Category
Fiction | Historical

Historical Time Period
American West | Modern
Date
1800s
Topic
Hardships | Oregon Trail | Wagon Trains
Geographic Region
United States - America
Format
Book

How to Get Rich on the Oregon Trail

Author: Olson, Tod

This next volume in the charmingly tongue-in-cheek How to Get Rich series hits the jackpot once again. How to Get Rich on the Oregon Trail continues the winning combination of authentic historical facts and entertaining fictional voices. The narrative offers good-humored and practical advice for a trip out west along the Oregon Trail.

This whimsical recounting of one family’s journey to their new homestead will give readers an appreciation of the hardships faced by all those who signed up for the great migration. These include hunger, thirst, sickness, hostile American Indians, and even deceit and thievery on the part of fellow travelers. The book also shows the ingenuity, skill, and trickery used to overcome such challenges.

Wittily interweaving the fictional characters’ adventures with historical personages, locales, and events, Tod Olson captures many distinctive facets of the pioneering American spirit. Uniquely, he examines the economic angles of America’s westward expansion, showing the lure of financial opportunities that tempted so many onto the Oregon Trail—and the harsh realities that they discovered along the way. Artwork and archival images create a scrapbook collage effect, making the book a visual feast, and a fascinating snapshot of this period of American history. The rich back matter includes a note from Marc Aronson that specifies what is fact and what is fiction, as well as an extensive “Encyclopedia of the Oregon Trail.”

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
930L

Genre/Category
Fiction | Historical

Historical Time Period
American West | Modern
Date
1800s
Topic
Diaries | Oregon Trail | Pioneers | Wagon Trains
Geographic Region
United States - America
Main Character
Girl(s)
Format
Book

Rachel’s Journal: The Story of a Pioneer Girl (Young American Voices #1)

Author: Moss, MarissaPart of a Series: Young American Voices

Traveling by covered wagon, young Rachel and her family follow the Oregon Trail from Illinois all the way to California. The terrain is rough and the seven-month trip is filled with adventure. Rachel’s own handwritten journal chronicles every detail and features cherished “pasted-in” mementos gathered along the way.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
320L

Genre/Category
Fiction | Historical

Historical Time Period
American West | Modern
Date
1800s
Topic
Diaries | Oregon Trail | Wagon Trains
Geographic Region
United States - America
Main Character
Boy(s)
Format
Book

Westward To Home: Joshua’s Oregon Trail Diary (My America)

Author: Hermes, PatriciaPart of a Series: Joshua's Oregon Trail Diary | My America

In book one of this diary of life on the Oregon Trail, Pat Hermes tells the story of Joshua McCullough’s family’s experiences as they pack up their belongings and head west in a wagon train.
It is 1848 when Joshua McCullough and his family leave their home in St. Joseph, Missouri, and set off for Oregon on a wagon train. During their seven-month-long journey, many of the other families on the trail suffer devastating losses, but Joshua’s is spared. However, Joshua must conquer his fear of water during the many river crossings the wagon train must make. During one dramatic crossing, Joshua heroically dives into a rushing river to save his younger sister Becky. The battered wagon train reaches Oregon after traveling over two thousand miles.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
1020L Recommended for 5-7 Grade

Genre/Category
History | Nonfiction

Historical Time Period
American West | Modern
Date
1800s
Topic
Children | Donner Party | Survival | Wagon Trains
Geographic Region
United States - America
Main Character
Children
Award-Winning Book
John and Patricia Beatty Award Winner
Format
Book

Perilous Journey of the Donner Party

Author: Calabro, Marian

On April 14, 1846, the Donner Party set out from Springfield, Illinois, in search of a better life in the largely unsettled California territory. The trip started well but eventually questionable choices and infighting delayed pioneers’ attempt to cross the Sierra Nevada until winter. As the impassable snows closed in and their supplies dwindled to nothing, the group faced an almost hopeless struggle for survival that would push some toward the final taboo of cannibalism. Nearly half the members of the Donner Party were children. This account, filled with selections from the survivors’ letters and diaries, focuses on the children’s experiences, making it uniquely compelling and accessible to young readers. Index, bibliography, chronology, group rosters, suggestions for further research.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
1040L Recommended for 4-8 Grade

Genre/Category
Fiction | Historical

Historical Time Period
Modern
Date
1800s
Topic
Dolls | Donner Party | Survival | Wagon Trains
Geographic Region
United States - America
Main Character
Doll | Girl(s)
Format
Book

Patty Reed’s Doll: The Story of the Donner Party

Author: Laurgaard, Rachel K.

In the winter of 1846, the Donner Party was stranded by heavy snows in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The pioneers endured bitter hardships, and many of them died. But some survived, including 8-year-old Patty Reed, a girl filled with dignity and determination in the face of mortal danger. This is her story, as told by Dolly, the wooden doll she kept hidden in her dress.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
470L

Genre/Category
Adventure | Fiction | Historical

Historical Time Period
Modern
Date
1800s
Topic
Animals | Horses | Lost | Pioneers | Wagon Trains
Geographic Region
Texas | United States - America
Main Character
Girl(s)
Format
Book

White Stallion

Author: Shub, Elizabeth

Long ago, in 1845 . . . a young girl named Gretchen and her family were on their way west. One day, the horse Gretchen was riding strayed far away from the wagon train. Gretchen was lost and all alone. But then a magnificent white stallion appeared. And Gretchen knew she didn’t have to be afraid, because the beautiful horse would show her the way back home.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
Recommended for 9-12 Grades

Genre/Category
Adventure | Fiction | Historical

Historical Time Period
Pre-Revolutionary War
Date
1700s
Topic
Cherokee | Christian | Death and Loss | Faith | Frontier | Hardships | Native Americans/Canadians | Romance | Wagon Trains
Geographic Region
United States - America
Main Character
Man/Men
Format
Book | Ebook

Over the Misty Mountains (Spirit of Appalachia #1)

Author: Morris, GilbertPart of a Series: Spirit of Appalachia

To escape the pain of losing his wife, Hawk Spencer leads a wagon train to the Tennessee frontier. Spirit of Appalachia book 1.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.
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Lexile/Reading Level
740L

Genre/Category
Adventure | Fiction | Historical

Date
1800s
Topic
Choices | Gold Rush | Growing Up - Coming of Age | Hardships | Wagon Trains
Geographic Region
Colorado | Iowa | United States - America
Main Character
Boy(s)
Format
Audiobook | Book | Ebook

Hard Gold: The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859: A Tale of the Old West

Author: AVI

Early Whitcomb’s family needs a miracle. Their Iowa farm has been in the family for generations, but a long drought has withered their savings and left them in debt. Meanwhile, the great Chicago and Northwestern Railroad wants their land, and if the Whitcombs can’t pay their loans, the local banker, Judge Fuslin, will foreclose and sell the farm as his own. Early’s uncle (though he’s more like a brother), Jesse, thinks he has the solution: to head West and dig for gold. Fueled by reports of prospectors striking it rich in the Rocky Mountains, Jesse can’t think about anything but gold, and his determination to get to the western territories grows stronger by the day. Early is wild to go with him, as much for the adventure as for the gold. But the journey costs money–more than the boys can afford–and when Jesse flees during the night, after being accused of a robbery, Early doesn’t know what to believe. Then Jesse sends an electrifying message–that he has found gold, but his life is in danger–and Early knows he must do whatever it takes to find him, even if it means running away and joining a wagon train with a strange family. The journey is dangerous and full of hardships, and the closer the travelers get to their destination, the more ruined lives they encounter–lives consumed by the hunt for gold. Then to his horror, Early learns that Jesse has been accused of another, much bigger crime and has fled to a secret place in the mountains. Somehow, Early must get to him without leading Jesse’s pursuers right to his door. And even if he succeeds, Early will still have to make the hardest choice of his life.

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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site. Book descriptions are sourced from either Amazon.com or GoodReads.

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What is my Child’s Lexile Measure?

GRADELEXILE
1st0-300L
2nd140-500L
3rd330-700L
4th445-810L
5th565-910L
6th665-1000L
7th735-1065L
8th805-1100L
9th855-1165L
10th905-1195L
11th/12th940-1210L
College+1210+

Find out more about Lexile Measures.

There are currently 5240 books in our database, and we're adding more every day!
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Please note: Our posting a book in our Homeschool Librarian database does not mean that we endorse its contents. Please use your own discretion when selecting books for your child to read. Also, our posts may contain affiliate links to Amazon.com. Purchases made through our affiliate links help support this site.

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