Nine for California

by Sonia Levitin, Cat Bowman Smith (Illustrations)

Amanda travels by stagecoach with her four siblings and her mother from Missouri to California to join her father.

Genres: Picture Books, History, Childrens, Humor, American History, Travel

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Sonia Levitin is a German-American novelist, artist, producer, Holocaust Survivor, and author of over forty novels and picture books for young adults and children, as well as several theatrical plays and published essays on various topics for adults. Her book Incident at Loring Groves won an Edgar Allan Poe Award.

Reviews

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at Half Price Books on clearance shelves. I don't normally review children's books but this one was a pleasant surprise. Although a short book, I felt the emotion of each passenger on the stagecoach as they traveled 21 days in a tiny space with 5 children. In the end the children were praised, the mother was praised, and the reader is left feeling grateful we don't have to travel like that anymore!

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it's fiction and is light-hearted and funny, it will definitely help your little ones understand what traveling in a stagecoach across the country would have felt like.

Ages: 4 - 8

Cleanliness: doggone is said.

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[Courtney Hartwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: This story is told from a child named Amanda’s perspective on her family travelling to meet their father California. It is based in the 1850’s when the Gold Rush was happening in California. Amanda describes her experience with her family travelling twenty-one days to the new state. The whole family has to fit in the wagon with all of their belongings. They wheel through many states and have to eat the same food the whole time. They all slept huddled together in the stage. Amanda writes about all the things they experience during their trip – from Indians to buffalo stampedes. They finally reached California and were back with their Pa!

Theme: Forced journey, California Gold Rush

Personal response: I am from California and grew up learning about the Gold Rush in history class. It is interesting to learn about the Gold Rush from multiple perspectives. In this case, it is a child who is travelling far from home to a new place. Along the way, they experience many struggles and adventures. In history class, we mainly focused on the people and events taking place in California, but it interesting to look at it from the perspective of someone on a forced journey.

Why I recommend this book: This book would be perfect to incorporate into history curriculum about the Gold Rush. It gives readers an interesting perspective about families who left their homes in hope for a new life in California. Students can learn about the struggles and risks that occurred to get to California. It teaches students about the ways these families lived on the road. This family's experience could be considered a forced journey which is important for children to learn about in schools.

[Isaac Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nine for California is about a mother and her children who are traveling out west during the 1800's. While traveling, they encounter many different things. However, for every thing that might go wrong, the mother seems to have the right answer for it.

This book was really entertaining and has a great story to it. I believe that this story could be read when discussing the great migration out west. The book discusses many different things that one could encounter in the 1800s.

[Our Weekend Is Booked · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's funny because as I was reading this to my kiddos they were like umm why didn't they just take a plane or a train to California? I liked that this book showed how hard the trip to California was. It didn't totally capture my 5 year olds attention, but overall it was a good book.

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/19/21 Read with Julia

[Jim Sibigtroth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good read-aloud story for first graders about the hardships of traveling across the country by stage coach in the mid 1800s. A mother with 5 children plus a cowboy, a banker, and a schoolteacher crowd into a stagecoach and head west. As challenges arise, the mother produces useful items from a large sack. When they finally arrive in California, the sack is empty as everything they needed for the trip has been used up.
After reading this story, you should get the even better book "Boom Town" which tells the story of what happened to all of these characters after they got to California.

[La'shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great historical fiction book for young readers because it allows for students to get a whimsical yet funny depiction of how things were in the mid to late 1800's. The story is especially great for younger readers because many of the events taking place by the children in the wagon are normal things that any child would do when traveling on the road for a long period of time. For the beyond portion of a lesson plan students can reflect on a time when they have had to travel somewhere that was far away. Students can write their reflection in a journal.

[Tammy Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was just ok. I can see using it to introduce trouble that homesteaders had as they traveled west. Of course the characters in this story took care of the problems in such a way children will think there were no hardships for the westward travellers. I know I was looking for something a little different when I picked this up to go with my history unit.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this children's book in the public library's online catalog while I was searching for something else, so I thought I'd check it out. It's a charming little book, balancing the tedium with the excitement of cross country stagecoach travel. Enjoyed the illustrations too!

[Marta-Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great introduction to the dangers, excitement, and everyday nuances of traveling through the American west during the last half of the 19th century. Each turn of the page introduces a new adventure and everytime "I wished that something would happen. It did."

[Michael Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books really do give opportunity to talk about some of the difficulties of stagecoach life and the whole California gold rush psyche. At the same time, it makes a great story to read kids before bed.

[Rivka D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just a fabulous kids book. I grew up reading this. The characters are lovely and full of ingenuity, and the art is playful and unique. Hard to find, but worth the trouble!

[Bree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Notes:
can't get past the fact that a puke scene occurs in the first few pages -- disgusting and unnecessary; could have been cute otherwise with fun illustrations and exciting story

[Annie Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story and wonderful illustrations!

[Arielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever, and apparently historically accurate to boot. With a map and a reference to the Wells Fargo history museum! (You know I want to visit, now.)

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Resourceful Mom!!

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a good book to show how life and traveling back in that time was hard and also about how America expanded.