Which Way to the Wild West?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About Westward Expansion
Grade 5–9—If Bill Bryson wrote history books for middle graders, they might read something like Sheinkin's offering. The former textbook author claims to have included all the "funny, amazing, inspiring, surprising, and disgusting stories" that his previous editors made him omit. The result is an engaging (though not necessarily introductory) chronological medley of anecdotes about the Wild West in nine lively chapters starting with the Louisiana Purchase and ending with the Lakota massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. Casual vignettes of famous figures and ordinary people come to life in an almost irreverent way. For example, a primary quote outlines Union Pacific vice president Thomas Durant's plan to get rich off the railroad: "Grab a wad of money from the construction fees—and get out." Sections on the Donner Party's tragic fate in the Sierra Nevada are entitled "Beware of Shortcuts" and "You Call This a Party?" A "What Ever Happened To…?" chapter follows up on notable individuals and lesser-known folks such as Biddy Mason (a former slave) and Catherine Sager (an orphaned pioneer child). The useful source notes include interesting suggestions for further reading on subjects such as territorial expansion, the gold rush, and Native Americans, and humorous black-and-white cartoons and caricatures decorate many pages.—Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public LibraryEND