ALL THE STARS IN THE SKY

Unlike the Oregon Trail that carried emigrants and adventurers to new lives in the West, the Santa Fe Trail carried traders to the New Mexico Territory, following a route first blazed by buffalo herds. Few women made the trek, though this account draws on an actual diary kept by 18-year-old Susan Magoffin in 1846. Fictional Florrie Mack Ryder, who turns 13 on her journey from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe, describes the wonders of prairies, shooting stars, snowcapped mountains, Indians, and encounters with rattlesnakes, badgers, mosquitoes, and tarantulas. She learns new Spanish words, eats tortillas made with blue corn, and finds much to like about her new home. In this solid entry in the Dear America series, McDonald infuses Florrie’s story with detailed descriptions of the landscape, wildflowers, and animals as well as the new culture Florrie joins. A companionable narrator, Florrie is astute enough not only to report what is new to her, but how different she must appear to others. She’s a heroine readers will enjoy joining on her travels. (historical note) (Fiction. 9-13)