Parents' Guide to

Wild West

By Megan McDonald, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Easy-to-read portrait of the Old West.

Book Mike Stotter History 1997
Wild West Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

From teepee villages to cow towns, from the quarterhorse to the iron horse, this is a rich, lavishly illustrated survey of the Old West with engaging slices of information told in readable, you-are-there style. Tribal homelands and warriors, ranchers and homesteaders, trail and home life, forts and battles--this book covers it all.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This is a browser-friendly portrait of the Old West that the author hopes will dispel misunderstandings about the era. The history behind such fascinating real-life characters of the Old West as Crazy Horse and Geronimo, Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok, and Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill is described here in short, easy-to-read overviews, each introducing a chapter of the American West. The author skillfully sets these familiar figures in the larger context of historical events.

The author briefly outlines the impact of events and people, as well as describing daily life on a ranch, a trail, a mining town, and a prairie. Short captions (with an occasional typo) under bold headings reveal details such as collecting buffalo dung for fuel, outfitting a Conestoga wagon, and building a sod house. Each page spread is well designed, offering plenty of information in visual form.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the romanticized history of the American West. Do you feel you have a real sense of what it was like to live then? How does it compare with the West of myth and legend?

Book Details

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