What Was the Donner Party?

What was...?

by Ben Hubbard, Who HQ, Tim Foley (Illustrator)

Learn about the treacherous journey across the Sierra Nevada mountain range that isolated and trapped a group of pioneers heading to California for an entire winter in this latest addition to the New York Times Bestselling What Was? series.

In the winter of 1846-47, a group of eighty-seven pioneers heading from the Midwest to California found themselves snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountain range with no way forward and no food or supplies. While forty-eight of the group members survived, the others perished due to extreme weather, starvation, and illness. To survive, the remaining people resorted to extreme measures...including cannibalism. Learn about the many miscalculations, bad decisions, and extreme weather that led to the demise of nearly half of the Donner Party in this book for young readers about one of California's first major disasters.

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, History, Historical

111 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2023

About the author

Ben Hubbard is an accomplished non-fiction author of books for children and adults. He has more than 160 titles to his name and has written on everything from Space, the Samurai and Sharks, to Poison, Pets and the Plantagenets. His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and can be found in bookshops, libraries and schools around the world.

Reviews

[Arc888 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was standing in the aisles of my library realizing that I didn't know anything about the Donner Party (apart from the obvious). I can't believe they wrote this for kids.

[MissSusie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this one interesting because this is a tough subject but I found that they did a really good job of telling this story without going too gruesome in the descriptions it was more just matter of fact which I thought was very well done.

Greg D. Bennett's narration was very good.

I will be adding this to my What was collection!


4 stars
I received this audiobook from the publisher PRHAudio for a fair and honest review.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: In late October 1846, one last push was all that was needed. One last push for the men, women, and children to reach the mountain summit--its highest peak--and cross to the other side.

Premise/plot: This is a nonfiction chapter book about the Donner Party. The book summarizes this tragic historical event well. At least relatively well considering the audience. Briefly, for those not in the know, it is a wagon train adventure gone horribly wrong.

My thoughts: Why. Why does this book exist. I have read a couple of books about the Donner Party. One was middle grade. One was young adult. One was adult. I don't know why elementary students would need such a gruesome book. Not that I'm judgy. Perhaps the gruesomeness of it makes it appealing?

What you see is exactly what you get. It is a solid enough narrative that describes the events--what led to the tragedy, the tragedy itself, and the aftermath of the tragedy.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I've read something as approachable and focused-- but that's what the Who HQ books do. Either way, I feel like I know more about the overall goals of the FULL party of people who were traveling west, the decisions made (based on ego, shortcuts, and weather to name a few) and how the events unfolded based on those decisions.

But there was also great context from how slow oxen move compared to a horse, the type of wagons that were used, and survival.

I would absolutely recommend this one to get a good handle on how it all unfolded.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

WhoHQ has written some YA nonfiction on some strange subjects, always treating them objectively and with empathy where possible. I was eager to see how they would handle the Donner Party. Cannibalism does not come up until much later in the book, and it is not graphic. I'd like to think Billy the Pony got up after the humans were out of sight and lived a brilliant and fruitful life as a pharmacist in Utah.

[Viktoria Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book from Who HQ. The story was accurate to everything I have ever read about the Donner Party. In some areas there was more detail than generally found. For me, all of the names and camp locations get confusing. A group of maps (not even to scale, just sketches) would help keep track of people and rescue parties. All in all informative and enjoyable.

[Ruth E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. I like these books; they give you the facts without a lot of information that might be more than I want to know. And this could have been a lot more gruesome, though I admire their will to survive.

[Candace Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe I'm almost 29 and never knew this story beyond the name "The Donner Party." I read it to my students for history class, and it is quite fascinating and somewhat horrifying. 😳 I love simple-to-read books about history.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great addition to this series.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Last book of faceoff weekend. 😴

[Krys · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

[Bri Weas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative read!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story told in a palatable manner

[theresa]

James reed youre a king

[Lola]

The audio voice actor, Greg D. Barnett, was fantastic.

[Nora Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Donner and Dahmer….. coincidence? I think not.

[Emma]

CANNABALISM?? They ate people???