All the stars in the sky The Santa Fe trail diary of Florrie Mack Ryder

Gr 4-7-Florrie, 12; her pregnant mother; a younger, sometimes troublesome brother; and Mr. Ryder, her new stepfather, set out in 1848 from Arrow Rock, MO, on an arduous journey of several months to Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory. Florrie's diary entries believably record her varied experiences-from mired-down and broken wagons and standoffs with badgers to the death of a friend in the wagon train. Children will identify with the girl's sadness as she leaves her best friend and rejoice as she finds new acquaintances along the seemingly endless trip. The writing is excellent, developing a compelling narrative and revealing the character of Florrie and the people she describes. As with a real diary, some entries are short, others more detailed, and there are gaps of time between them. The concluding "Historical Note" includes photographs, a map, and other information to place the story more firmly in the context of its time. A solid purchase for most collections, especially those with avid "Dear America" readers.-Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

When her new stepfather, a trader, decides to move the family to Santa Fe, Missourian Florrie and her family start out for New Mexico Territory. In her diary Florrie records her trip as well as her worries about her pregnant mother and her grief over leaving friends along the way. Occasionally the plot seems overloaded with every possible experience, but Florrie's tale is engaging overall. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.