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Rating: 
Summary: Home here we come!!
Review: I thought Westward to Home was an okay book. It was about a boy named Joshua and his family moving to Oregon. At the beginning of the book Joshua's grandfather didnt want to go to Oregon with his family. He thought it would be hard for him to leave his wife's grave. He eventually decided to go to Oregon with his family. Joshua was excited. Joshua's grandfather surprises his whole family with something he does on the trail. This book is best for boys. They can connect with how he feels and what he goes through.
Rating:
Summary: Home here we come!!
Review: I thought Westward to Home was an okay book. It was about a boy named Joshua and his family moving to Oregon. At the beginning of the book Joshua's grandfather didnt want to go to Oregon with his family. He thought it would be hard for him to leave his wife's grave. He eventually decided to go to Oregon with his family. Joshua was excited. Joshua's grandfather surprises his whole family with something he does on the trail. This book is best for boys. They can connect with how he feels and what he goes through.
Rating: 
Summary: A great account about the Oregon Trail!
Review: Nine-year-old Joseph McCullough, who lives on a farm in St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1848, is excited when his parents announce that the family will be traveling west to Oregon. Unlike most settlers who head west, the McCulloughs are fortunate that many of their friends and family will also be making the journey. Still, nothing can prepare Joshua for the hardships he and his family will face on the journey. And when the time comes, can Joshua conquer his greatest fear to save someone in his family? This was an excellent historical novel for younger readers, especially those who enjoyed the other My America books.
Rating:
Summary: Nature Loves to Hide
Review: Patricia Hermes' account of this dangerous exploration needs quiet time to listen. The young boy's relationship with his grandfather becomes my chief reason for buying and recommending this book to grandparents who often care for children's needs more diligently than birth parents.
The author manifests a unique sense of humor when she creates the name for "ME-TOO". Capturing the surf and the breeze the story, WESTWARD TO HOME renders the journey as nature's spiritual turf. Mary Kelly,Toms River, NJ.
Rating:
Summary: traveling along
Review: This book brings you back to 1848. It shows you the hardships people had to face as they struggled to Oregon. Loved ones, live stock, and whole families were lost forever. As Joshua struggles to Oregon with his family he meets new people, forms new friendships, and meets up with unexpected love ones. As Joshua gets ready to leave Independence, MO. His beloved grandfather changes his mind and decides to come with Joshua and his family. As they go along Joshua's grandfather meets a young lady and marries her, this is a big shock to everyone. Joshua overcomes his fear of water and finds the courage to go on.
Rating:
Summary: Okay but not great
Review: This book is about a young boy traveling the Oregon Trail back in the day. He has many hardships and has to deal with lots of problems. They have to deal with death, sickness, and many wagon problems. The diary tells of how he feels and really shows his true side.
Rating:
Summary: A book about a boy, but is it a boy's book?
Review: We just added "Westward to Home" and several other "My America" books to our elementary school library, so it remains to be seen how popular this particular title will be.Author Patricia Hermes does a fine job of telling the story of a nine-year old boy, through brief journal entries, about life on the Oregon Trail in 1848. While we get a kid's eye view of the hardships, the people, and some of the typical events associated with traveling west by covered wagon, I'm not convinced that this is a genuinely BOY'S book. I have traveled along the Oregon Trail, from Independence, MO, to Walla Walla, WA, and I was once a boy. That makes me no expert, but I think a nine-year old kid on the Oregon Trail would be less interested in the interpersonal difficulties of the adults in the wagon train, and more fascinated with guns, never-before-seen animals such as pronghorns, prairie dogs, snakes, lizards, and buffalo, and some of the amazing landforms that come into view after a monotonous trek across the flat prairies. There was a brief mention of Chimney Rock, which would be awe inspiring for any kid to see and muse about. And what about Register Rock where a kid would surely stop to scratch in his own name and read the signatures of those who had gone on before? One would think a boy would be more amazed at his first views of the Rockies. And even when Joshua is curious about the Indians he sees in the forts along the way, I'd expect him to be more fascinated with the way they looked and talked, what they wore, how they smelled and how they did things like eat and smoke. This could also be said for the soldiers and trappers he must've seen at these forts. I also can't imagine a nine-year old boy spending so much time in his journal worrying about a girl who was "sweet" on him. Instead, I would like to have seen his male friendships developed a bit more fully. Having said all this, I still think this book is a welcome addition to middle grade titles about the Oregon Trail. The overall picture of the life, people and hardships, including many tragic deaths, is realistic. I anticipate that more girls will be reading this than boys, but it fills a need at this level.
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