4.5 stars

California Trail Discovered follows the journey of 13-year-old Daniel as he and his sister travel across America with California as their end goal. The two of them are fictional characters, but many of the characters they interact with along the way were actually real, historical people (e.g. Jim Savage, Lilburn W. Boggs, James Reed, Lansford Hastings, and George Donner).

I thought the author does an amazing job sparking interest to look deeper into what life was like traveling on the Oregon Trail. I ended up Googling most of the historical characters that Sontag incorporated into her story because I really wanted to know their backstories and what ended up happening to them. This is what the best historical fiction books should do: transport the reader back in time, and since California Trail Discovered is mostly for middle grade readers, Sontag’s ultimate goal of making these elementary and middle school kids want learn and explore beyond the book itself is even more appreciated.

I thought Daniel was a well-developed character, and although the story was a relatively short one (the book was around 120 pages long), the characters were all fleshed-out and the plot was never lacking. Daniel himself goes from being an innocent blacksmith’s apprentice with little to worry about to a young man with the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. I really admired his grit and work ethic (he made a great main character!) although I would still like to see what happens with him and his perception of God (the first book leaves off with Daniel being quite angry at God and doubting him). Hannah was actually my favorite character; she was the sweetest thing ever!

There were also activities/projects that accompanied each chapter of the book, and the author provides worksheets and details to conduct S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities throughout to go along with the book. I did not look through the activities myself, but with Sontag’s impressive education and experience in teaching, I’d expect them to be just as good as the book itself. With the chapter-by-chapter activities, the books discussion guide, and the character guide (all included in the book), California Trail Discovered would be a wonderful addition to any homeschool library or classroom bookshelf.

I have to say that I really enjoyed reading this book even though I’m not really a middle grade reader, so although I would recommend California Trail Discovered to late elementary schoolers and middle schoolers (ages 7-12), older readers could definitely find this book to be to their liking. Anyway, I think I’m going to go off now and try to find a memoir or diary or something from someone who traveled on the Oregon Trail to read about! I was always interested in the Donner Party so maybe I’ll start there! Thank you again, Marie Sontag, for your talented writing and your passion for teaching! I certainly learned a lot just from this one book of yours! ( )