Kathleen Karr (1946–2017)

If you want a good story on a wagon train going West and the hardships and trials they faced, then you will like this book. It takes place in the mid 1800s and centers around Johnny and Meg Stuart, with their adopted little boy, Jamie and their new baby girl Charlotte. They start off on their adventure to Oregon and have their good times and bad times. Johnny has such an adventurous spirit, which is why they are taking this trip across the country. Meg is a lady who has a heart for people, show more who loves her family and is willing to endure alot of hard times without complaint (wish I could be more like her sometimes). As in all wagon trains you have your folks who are easy to get along with and those who don't seem to like anybody. You have the Indians to deal with, along with the weather and everything in between. I thought it was a realistic look at how it was to travel by wagon across this great country. It held my attention all the way through and I will look forward to reading more of this family's adventures in other stories in this series. show less

Reviewed by Candace Cunard for TeensReadToo.com

As an orphaned teenage jester in the court of a medieval German lord, Conrad doesn't enjoy the best treatment.

He entertains Lord Otto with acrobatics learned from his jester father, now dead, and he makes friends with others at the castle, but he sleeps in a stable and has few human comforts. When he receives a particularly painful beating for speaking out against Lord Otto's unjust taxing of the peasants under his control, he resolves to leave show more in search of his freedom, or at least for a lord who will not be as cruel.

He intends to leave alone, but his love, Christa, one of Lord Otto's servants, refuses to let him leave without her, and they travel the German countryside, Christa disguised as a boy. Along their journey they meet with hardships in the form of terrible weather, more cruel lords, and restrictive laws, but they also meet up with engaging characters. My personal favorite is a young boy, Second-Chance Max, whom Conrad and Christa save from death and who then travels with them, learning the ways of a jester.

It's a pleasure to watch the growth of Conrad from a boy jester who's still unsure of his place in the world to a young man capable of leading a company of friends in the jester's art.

This book paints a historically accurate picture of late 1300s Germany, and the author's enthusiasm for historical detail never gets in the way of the reader's understanding. If anything, it enhances the experience of the story. From the food Conrad eats to the people he meets to the places he sees, every detail helps to set the scene. It is a world in which his characterization seems natural and believable. The author includes a note upon the history of the time and a list of the sources she used for her research, so more ambitious or interested readers have an outlet for discovering more about the world of Conrad and Christa. show less

Mostly funny. Almost like a Tall Tale. Doesn't read like historical fiction at all, even though it is sneakily very educational. I should write more, but I think you should just read the book. If you need further convincing, note all the other glowing reviews. I never heard of the author before but I will look for more by her.

The Great Turkey Walk tells the funny first-person fiction narrative of a boy who's failed third grade for the fourth time, and finds success driving a herd (gaggle, group???) of turkeys across the heartland to Denver. Charming and funny.