Books like Facing west by Kathleen V. Kudlinski
Facing West follows a Missouri family as they embark on an overland journey to Oregon. The story centers on young Ben, who must confront the dangers and hardships of frontier travel while coping with debilitating asthma.
The novel captures the spirit of pioneer life, exploring the challenges of 19th‑century westward expansion and the resilience required to reach the Pacific Coast. Through Ben’s eyes, readers see the physical and emotional trials of a family adventure on the Oregon National Historic Trail.
A compelling blend of historical adventure and personal struggle, Facing West offers a vivid look at frontier hardships and the enduring fight against health obstacles for young protagonists.
First publish date: 1994
Genre: Children's Fiction/Children's Adventure
Authors: Kathleen V. Kudlinski
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Books similar to Facing west (14 similar books)
A young diarist chronicles the hardships of an overland journey across the American West toward Oregon, describing the dry air, chapped lips, and the weary trek that feels only half over.
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Florrie Ryder’s diary chronicles her family’s courageous journey from Missouri to New Mexico along the Santa Fe Trail, filled with hardships, discoveries, and the promise of a new life.
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Fourteen‑year‑old Francis Tucket sets out west on the Oregon Trail, receives a rifle and is captured by the Pawnee; wild horses, hostile tribes, and a mysterious one‑armed mountain man named Mr. Grimes shape him into the man who will later be known as Mr. Tucket.
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A young pioneer girl and her family prepare to leave the big woods of Wisconsin and travel west in their covered wagon.
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When twelve‑year‑old Suzannah and her cousin Daniel leave the East Coast in 1848 to ride the National Road toward the Missouri frontier, they confront blizzards, bear chases, and other perils, trusting God’s strength on every step.
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Eight‑year‑old Sarah brings laughter to her family's overland journey from Missouri to Oregon, but her spirited adventures also stir trouble for her and her best friend Almira Ann.
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Araminta’s cherished paintbox is lost when her family leaves Boston for California in 1847. It changes hands and adventures across the frontier, returning home to a pioneer child in a tale of resilience and wonder.
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A vivid diary adaptation tells the 1853 overland journey of Amelia Stewart Knight, her husband, and their seven children as they traverse from Iowa to the Oregon Territory, offering insights into pioneer life and women’s roles on the Westward road.
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When Papa moves from Iowa to Oregon, his family must tackle perilous trails, hail, and drought while he tries to preserve his beloved apple orchard ahead of the new frontier.
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A gripping juvenile tale of seven children who brave 2,000 miles of frontier wilderness in covered wagons, journeying from Missouri to Oregon in the mid‑nineteenth century.
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A lively diary of nine‑year‑old Joshua Martin McCullough as he and his family trek from Missouri to Oregon in 1848 aboard a covered wagon.
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A thirteen‑year‑old orphan’s diary chronicles his perilous 1845 wagon journey on the Oregon Trail, detailing rivers, plains, wildlife and the camaraderie of fellow pioneers.
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Two twins and their time‑traveling grandmother travel westward on the 1843 Oregon Trail, meeting pioneers and experiencing frontier life.
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A family's move by wagon train from Missouri to Oregon in the 1850's, told in rhyming verse with a daughter's cleverness against cattle thieves.
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Some Other Similar Books
Westward Expansion by Kathy PeltaWestward Ho! by Walter R. Brooks
The Oregon Trail by Francis C. Craighead
Journey to the West by Anthony Storr
The Plimoth Plantation by Elizabeth Yates
Pioneers of the West by Ralph Moody
Westward Expansion: A History of the American West by William G. Tapply
Comanche Lodge by G. Clifton Wisler
Westward to Home: Settling the West by Bill O'Neill
The Frontier Boys by Martha Freeman
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