Blue Skies West (Book Review)

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Three years ago, I had the privilege of reviewing the first four books in the Horses of History series by Mattie Richardson and Appaloosy Books. At that time, my son read them to review and then recommended them to my daughter. This month, my daughter was thrilled to have the opportunity to read and review the next book in the series: Blue Skies West.

Blue Skies West is a fun chapter book about the Oregon Trail from the perspective of a horse traveling the trail. The book is just under 140 pages, with a paperback cover that features a beautiful horse and wagon trains.

Book Summary

“This is a book about the Oregon Trail. It starts with a family deciding if they want to go on the Oregon Trail or not. They have heard a lot about it but are not sure if they want to attempt to go to Oregon or not. They decide to go; they get everything they think they need and head out on their journey. They travel well for a while, then there is sickness, and people die. Some decide to turn back, but this family keeps going. It talks about different stops they made at various landmarks. After a long journey, they finally get to Oregon at the end of the book.” Elizabeth Age, 14

What Did We Think?

“I really enjoyed the book. I liked how it was set from the horse’s perspective. I would recommend it to students who are into history, horses, or both. It was an easy read with heavier content. By heavier, I mean that there was death, sickness, Indian attacks, and things like that. It reminded me of playing Oregon Trail, the game to some extent.”

I love that this series of books helps students look at history from a different perspective. While they are historical fiction, they contain a great deal of accurate historical information. While students from elementary up through high school might enjoy the stories, you need to be aware that they may not be the right fit for younger students who are very sensitive to death and scary situations. They are probably ideal for upper elementary and middle grades students.

They are perfect for students that love horses. They can be read for fun or as a part of your history curriculum.

Be sure to click on the graphic below to see what other Crew Members thought about Blue Skies West. You can also check out our review of the other books in the series: Horses of History Appaloosy Books by Mattie Richardson (Review).