I liked this book for two reasons. First, this book broadens perspectives for readers and allows them to think about life on the move. For instance, the story talks about moving from Wisconsin and going west during a time where it is very cold and snowing. It also shows where the main characters and their family are exchanging goodbyes and helping the family get moving. I think that this was very important to the story because it is a part where readers can relate to based on their own experiences with their family. A second thing that I liked about this book was the illustrations. I think that the illustrator and author worked well together when showing expression and detail. For example, when the author was talking about the morning that Ma woke up Mary and Laura, I was very impressed with how the illustrator drew Mary and Laura. The two characters were lying in bed with squinted eyes, which greatly portrayed the idea that it was early and that they were still very tired. The big idea of this story is the idea of moving and the ties that come with it. It shows how hard it is to leave family behind, but how exciting it can be to get a fresh start somewhere new. ( )

Summary:Adapted from Little House on the Prairie books. It is about a young pioneer girl and her family prparing to leave their home in the big woods of Wisconsin and traveling by wagon to find a new home. They go west to look for prairie land and a place to build a new home. It tells about their travels going west.
Personal Reaction: I really enjoyed how this book is made for young children. I myself like the Little House on the Prairie series and feel most children will enjoy these books. It lets them see how families lived so differently then compared to how our children live. It is good family reading!
Classroom Extension Ideas: This would be a great time to talk to great grandparents and some grandparents and have them come to class and talk to the students.
We could also find information about how there schools were compared to our schools. If the students have anything from home, that was something used back in those days, they could bring it to school. ( )

Going West could really show students how people use to move from one place to another. I liked this book because I have always been interested in Pilgrims and the way they migrated across the world. ( )