Children's books set in the west?

[ahisma]

We're taking a long-ish road trip out west this year and I'd love to put together a reading list for the kids before we go. We'll be in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska. I'm not coming up with much, and I know there are many great options. I'm hoping the BBB hive will have a better literary memory than I do.

[citymama]

Stickeen about John Muir and his dog - it's set on a glacier in Alaska but transposable to Montana or WY - it's a tale of the west. https://www.amazon.com/Stickeen-John-Muir-Brave-Little/dp/1883220785

I don't know how old your kids are, but my DD1 loves the book "Oh Ranger!" that we bought in a National Park that is available through amazon 3rd party sellers - tales by park rangers: https://www.amazon.com/Ranger-True-Stories-National-Parks/dp/0978710126

Who was Sacagawea? https://www.amazon.com/Who-Sacagawea-Judith-Bloom-Fradin/dp/0448424851

What was the Lewis and Clark expedition? https://www.amazon.com/What-Was-Lewis-Clark-Expedition/dp/044847901X/

"A River Runs Through It" if they're older...or for the parents!

[legaleagle]

Little House on the Prairie

[citymama]

Little House on the Prairie

I thought of that but isn't that set in Minnesota?

[bisous]

I thought of that but isn't that set in Minnesota?

I think they move around a lot. The first book "in the big woods" is someplace up north. I can't remember the setting of all the books but I thought that at least one of them was in the west.

I know it was filmed where I live currently in CA, lol. But that doesn't count. :)

OP, I wish I could think of some more. I'll peruse our stash and see what I can find.

[jgenie]

Try Louise Erdrich. She might have some books set in the west.

[legaleagle]

I thought of that but isn't that set in Minnesota?

4 of the later books are in De Smet South Dakota and there are a number of sites to visit

[azzeps]

There is a series called Dear America... it is in journal style and set in different time periods in history. Maybe there's one for Lewis & Clark time period, or gold rush or something?

[ncat]

How old are your kids?

Locomotive (Brian Floca) details a train trip starting in Omaha, Nebraska. Will see if I can think of any others.

[gobadgers]

We found one Boxcar children book set in Yellowstone (though I think it's wintertime) - The Growling Bear Mystery. I'm looking for more options too!

Here's a link to some other Yellowstone options: https://www.nps.gov/yell/blogs/yellowstone-fiction-young-adult-juvenile.htm

[StantonHyde]

There is a great book about Seaman--the dog on the Lewis and Clark expedition

[StantonHyde]

You can also access various National Parks bookstores online. e.g. for Yellowstone--it might be "Friends of Yellowstone" or something like that. It is usually a volunteer organization that supports the park. They have AWESOME kids books on the areas you visit. Try starting with a Park NPS website and look for the bookstore.

[lizzywednesday]

I thought of that but isn't that set in Minnesota?

Big Woods is Wisconsin, then in LHotP, they move to the just-opened Missouri Territory, with a move to Minnesota at some point.

Eventually they settle in DeSmet, in the Dakota Territory (present-day South Dakota).

Here's a map that shows the stories' settings:

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/08/12/bcst-thread-books-laura-ingalls-wilder-road-trip

[lizzywednesday]

I liked Streams to the River, Rivers to the Sea by Scott O'Dell (http://www.scottodell.com/Pages/StreamstotheRiver,RivertotheSea.aspx), which is another retelling of the Lewis & Clark expedition, but wouldn't recommend it unreservedly - it's closer to YA than it is to grammar school level in terms of situations, though I don't recall anything particularly questionable. Of course, it's been over 20 years since I last re-read it, so my memory is likely to be faulty.

While not completely set in the real world, I'm going to mention The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum because it's set, initially, in Kansas. Also, it's great fun as a read-aloud.

[Cam&Clay]

Hattie Big Sky

[cellenly]

Grasshopper Summer by Ann Turner
Post civil war era KY family deliberates & decides to go & settle in dakota territory. they face plague of grasshoppers (real life event).

[rin]

I found this website, which doesn't seem to have an option to add in a filter for genre (or limit to children's results) but it seems like there are a handful of children's results in here: http://www.bookssetin.com/p1/179/Wyoming/p2/BookSearch.aspx

[lizzywednesday]

Grasshopper Summer by Ann Turner
Post civil war era KY family deliberates & decides to go & settle in dakota territory. they face plague of grasshoppers (real life event).

This was an episode in On the Banks of Plum Creek, too.