I could tell this book was made in the 80's by the title page. Simple text with no flash and only two colors. The book has a table of contents consisting of only six chapters but don't let that fool you. The author Judith Alter covered everything I think about when I picture the old west.
This book talked about the hardship of the journey to get to the west. Up to a third of the wagons were abandoned in Missouri. I actually learned a lot of new things from the book. Children in the west learned how to have fun by enjoying the wildness, animals, and waterways. The had to go on a lot of picnics until civilization gave them more opportunities to have fun. The details in this book let me know I could never make it. Its extremely hot and hostile from diseases to Indian attacks. This book covered more than I expected. There are pictures and illustrations that detail the reality they lived in and the book utilized them well. I appreciated having the ideas reinforced through the pictures. Ms. Alter didn't waste any space on the page or conversely our time while we read the fantastic book. If your interested in the west and don't mind the dated ascetics, give this book a try. It's well written, covered a lot of topics, and really gave you a sense of what it was like, Growing Up In The Old West. ( )