Oregon Books

We read Roughing It on the Oregon Trail by Diane Stanley. 2 twins stay with their grandmother and get to go back in time to meet some relatives and travel on the Oregon Trail. A little along the lines as the Magic Tree House books but this one is a picture book. It really was very interesting and I even learned some things I did not know. Recommended for ages 5-10 years.

My 6 yr old son and 8 year old daughter paid close attention and enjoyed this book. My daughter enjoyed reading the bubble conversation; I read the text part. Nice illustrations - neither they nor the story was too dark as is sometimes a problem with historical fiction for this age. Sort of a Magic School Bus feel to it, with travel back in time.

It has been a long while since I followed up on my childhood obsession with pioneer stories, but while reading this I was back in the covered wagon facing the hardships: massacres, thirst, insects, snakes, wayward and stubborn pack animals, terrain that seemed more like a blockade than a "trail." The Beards were an indomitable pair who travelled the route from their home on the West Coast (the end of the Oregon Trail) to its origin in Independence, MO. And they did it after 40 years of a marriage during which they had dreamed and planned for this near-pilgrimmage. It isn't just the great descriptions of the land and people they encountered along the way, but their awe and reverence. I don't think that "respect" is a bad way to put it: the reader here is in the presence of a mensch (if one can get away with calling a Presbyterian minister that). I saw every landmark filtered through the clear light of Beard's mind, philosophy and sensitivity.

This book is indeed a classic. Beard's conversational narratives and word pictures are a fast read with unparalleled clarity and excitement. A student of Western history, Beard adds numerous, historical accounts of other writers and conversations with locals met along the way that either lived or knew about the "old days." Hardship and triumph defined the Oregon Trail in the mid-19th century, and the Beards tasted both. Who better to appreciate these extremes than a Chaplain assigned to a U.S. Army unit in France during World War One and the long-time pastor of Mount Tabor Presbyterian Church in Portland, Oregon. Ride with the Beards through rivers, deserts, mountains and plains sprinkled with sunshine, rain, snow, sleet, wind and sand storms. The Beards were friends of three generations of my family. The last time I saw them was in 1947, the year before they took their saddles East. Readers will not be disappointed with this riveting, first-hand account of a trip first dreamed of when Chaplain Beard was a boy.

This book may be listed as a 9-12 year old read, but that doesn't begin to do this book proper justice! I read it by myself with the intent of going back and reading it with my 11 year old daughter. I enjoyed it so much that it will be a family read instead as all 5 of my children ages 3-11 will love getting to know Sarah, Uncle Joe, Junior, Miss Rose, Aunt Becky and Eric. Susan Page Davis takes us inside Sarah's world - a 14 year old girl who is suddenly left all alone after a tragic accident takes her mom away from her and her dad died 8 years previously. Uncle Joe, a quiet, solitary bachelor takes her in on his horse farm which allows her to keep her horse and her mom's horse. As they settle into a routine, Uncle Joe finally agrees to ride with Sarah in the Bandicoot 100, which her mom had previously registered to do with Sarah. This leads us inside the world of distance horse racing which turned out to be fascinating! This is Sarah's first time to do a 100 (100 miles in under 24 hours) though she and her mother had completed a 50 mile race shortly before her mom passed away.

God's provision is the phrase that kept coming to mind as I read this book, God's provision for Sarah (and Uncle Joe) even when they didn't know what they needed.

This was just a really great book and I can't wait to see what Susan brings us in the next installment of The Piper Ranch Series!

Review:
I was pleasantly surprised that this was not your typical story about a girl who becomes an orphan; is left with adults who do horrible things to that orphan. Quite the opposite is true in this book. Sarah is the orphan who loses her mom unexpectedly two weeks before "The Bandicoot 100" in Oregon. That is the competition that Sarah and her mom were registered to compete in together.

After Sarah's mom dies she isn't sure how her uncle really feels about her and why he wanted her to live with him in the first place. But as the story unfolds you see both Sarah and her Uncle live and breathe horses and God. That is their connection. It was difficult for them at first to work out new routines for their lives and learn about one another. It was fascinating how both Sarah and Uncle Joe planned their days around caring for the many horses on the Piper Ranch. They also had to work out how they could find time to train the horses for the competition and do the normal chores.

Sarah's faith is tested and she learns to press into her faith in God her father. She takes comfort in scripture one night (Isaiah 65:24) "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."

Sarah's prayer that night is "Thank you for answering my prayer, Father;" she whispers "You gave me everything I needed, even when I was too hurt to know what that was...Thanks especially for Uncle Joe. You know we needed each other."

I was amazed at all the checks and balances that were planned within the Bandicoot 100 competition. Everyone wants to make sure that the horses and humans do not get hurt or abused during the race. Susan does a great job about taking you inside the world of horse competition and horse care. It was very interesting to read.

This is a story of faith, hope and love as you get to know Sarah and Uncle Joe. See their struggle to get to know each other and become a family unit. This story will grab your heart strings. You don't have to be a horse lover to enjoy this story. I highly recommend this book for everyone to read.

Nora St.Laurent
Book Club Servant Leader
Novel Journey Reviewer

I like to consider myself a gourmet cook. I have been a great admirer of Julia Child and even took a short class from her when whe was in Seattle. However, I like to explore new horizons and most recently I got "hooked on" The Junior League Cookbooks. During my travels I always go to the hotel gift shop (or airport) to pick up the state Junior League Cookbook. I hit the "Jackpot" when I bought Oregon's "Savor the Flavor." My girl's all own the cookbook and we write in each others book comments like Great, Fantastic...try this one. Today I am recommending it for my book study club. Close behind I would rate the two Seattle and San Francisco Junior League Cookbooks. As my husband said, "If you find one great recipe in a cookbook than it is worth the price of the book." Well, this is worth gold!

I love to amaze my family and friends with great food. My secret... "Savor the Flavor of Oregon." From great french bread to amazing pasta and awesome soups, recipes from this book are always a hit!! My only problem, my wife has caught on and not only is my secret weapon loosing its cover, but my friends are buying the book as well. If you can make a grocery list in advance and follow a recipe this book will make you a gourmet.

Searoad: The Chronicles of Klatsand is a collection of short stories set in Oregon. For those who resist even the cream of the Science Fiction genre, these are pure fiction, and serve as a wonderful introduction to Le Guin's work. For previous fans, these are a must-read. The only draw back to the collection is that it has gone out of print- a tragedy for readers.

This is less of a review than a complaint and expression of disbelief that this book is no longer in print - meaning you have to hunt for it at used bookstores. "Searoad," a collection of short stories set in a small town on the Oregon coast, is a step away from the wonderful SF/fantasy stories that Le Guin normally writes. It is also, in my opinion, Le Guin's absolutely best work, and that's saying quite a bit. With "Searoad" Le Guin proved that she is a master fiction writer in any genre. I can't recommend this book enough - if you can find it.

Sharks of the Pacific Northwest Including Oregon, Washington, British Columbia & Alaska presents the combined wisdom of three marine experts in a beautiful guide to shark species featuring a wealth of gorgeous color photographs, as well as a handful of black-and-white diagrams. Accessible to lay readers, amateur naturalists, and professional researchers alike, Sharks of the Pacific Northwest is not only an identification guide to the 18 species of shark in the Pacific Northwest, but also offers general scientific information concerning the biology of sharks, the truth behind shark/human interaction, and more. In-depth profiles of the nuances of the eighteen species round out this handy guide, which is supplemented by a bibliography and an index. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone seeking to learn more about these wondrous and often misunderstood creatures.

Great Book, full of rare pictures and most important full of great drawings by Dr. Alessandro De Maddalena....
...is perfect for shark fans

What a great screenplay it would make.

One of the best accounts of Oregon's little known cattle-sheep war that I have read. Although it is based on fact,and actual events, it is written in such a manner that I couldn't put it down.

I first encountered Opal Whitely in an earlier version of her journal, "The Journal of An Understanding Heart". The journal was amazing, but the introductory material was unsatisfactory. Hoff has researched more deeply into the amazing life of Opal Whitely, misunderstood mystic. Hoff's version is to be preferred.

Opal was special. "Melancholy" apparently ran in her family and afflicted her mother. Whether it was heredity or due to the harshness of her mother's treatment of her, Opal was paradoxically more deeply in touch with both reality and the fantasies she constructed to shield herself from its harsher aspects.

Opal showed great promise as a young teacher, combining scientific understanding with her panentheism, her empathy with all of nature. One wonders what might have been if she had been better understood, cherished for her uniqueness and nurtured to develop her potential during her life.

Neoteny is when a species evolves to retain juvenile features into adulthood. Humans paradoxically evolved our sophisticated cleverness by staying young, open to learning new things, longer than other animals. Opal tried to show us the next step in our evolution, but the world was not ready for Opal. Opal showed us a genius so pure that it was incompatible with the world in its current state of evolution. It was and is inevitable that her spirit would meet with tragedy, and that it would ultimately triumph. This journal is its triumph.

Benjamin Hoff's foreward, biography and afterward paint a picture of an incredibly gifted little girl, but even his glowing bio does not prepare you for the depth and beauty of Opal's writing. Her view of the world, the wonderful names she gives the trees and creatures around her, her "angel mother" and "angel father", and her general view of life are the most awe inspiring I have ever read. If you are a nature lover, this is a must read.

I also am a model railroader, and it just so happens that I am modeling the Southern Pacific's route over the Oregon cascades. In my scenicing efforts, I have just about worn this book out. It's just beautiful!

I was looking for a book about SP-Oregan. I got more than I ever expected. The book has some of the finest pictures, not to mention the history of the Area-Oregan, and Northern California. I thought I new a lot about SP, but with this wonderfull book, with it's pictures, and it's history have taught me more than I ever expected. If you need a book about the of the SP, Oregan-Nothern California, this is the best book, buy it, and find the wonders that I found, about the SP.

Very interesting and well researched book on one family's story about the hardships on the Oregon Trail. Enjoyed it very much. Recommend it to anyone who has an interest in history, especially the Oregon Trail.

I bought this book for my 8-year old son and I to read together because we are both interested in the Oregon Trail. The story is all the more interesting and emotional because it's based on the true story of seven kids who lose both parents as they move west as part of a wagon train. The trials and tribulations of the family and their adoptive parents brings history alive in a way children can relate to, albeit with sadness and tragedy involved. Some very emotional children might have a hard time with the deaths and killing in the story, but the characters' ability to survive it is a great lesson in human resiliency and courage. The fates of the children are included at the end of the book, so the reader's attachment to them is fulfilled by learning of their lives after the story ends.