very good - Katrian

In 1838, settlers moving west forced the great Cherokee Nation, and their chief John Ross, to leave their home land and travel 1,200 miles to Oklahoma. An epic story of friendship, war, hope, and betrayal.

This is a short narrative tale on how thousands of Cherokee Indians were uprooted and forced to move west on what is known as the Trail of Tears. This book would be a great introduction for children learning about the Indian Removal Act. It gives age appropriate details on how many resisted relocation and fought for their rights to keep their land. I like how it ended by detailing how the Cherokee Nation flourished despite the hand they were dealt. However, the hardships of relocation seemed to be deluded by making it seem as though they immediately achieved a successful new society. This book would ultimately be a good introduction for children learning about the events surrounding the Trail of Tears. ( )

This book was about a true story about Cherokee Indians and how they were forced to give up their land to Americans. They had to fight for their land, but many died and were forced to find another territory. They finally found land in Oklahoma and North Carolina but it took many years to rebuild. I found this book in my daughter's book collection and decided to read it. I always knew about the Trail of Tears but had forgotten about it since it has been over 30 years since I have read or heard about it. I really enjoyed reading this book and getting to rediscover what happened on the Trail of Tears. I would extend this book by adding a map of the actual trail they traveled. I would also extend this book by telling exactly what the Cherokee did in Oklahoma and where they made their survival happen since I don't think there are many Cherokee in this area of Oklahoma.

I really enjoyed this book. It is short, but it hits several key components of the things that happened to the Cherokee Indians in the 1800's. It tells about their interactions with the first settlers from Europe and with the United States government. It tells of how things started out relatively peaceful and fair, but then some powerful white men didn't think that the Indians should have an rights to their own lands. It briefly describes their long journey to the west and some of the challenges and hardships that they faced along the way. ( )