A Perfect Place

Joshua's Oregon Trail Diary #2

by Patricia Hermes

In Patricia Hermes's Book Two of Joshua's journey West in 1848, we meet the young adventurer once again upon his arrival in Oregon where his new life will begin.

It is the fall of 1848, and Joshua and his family have finally arrived in Oregon. Excited about their new home, they choose a place to build and raise a farm. Though life out West is trying, and they must cope with losses and setbacks, they also experience great success and joy.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Diary, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, Young Adult, Historical

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Jenny Clark]

Another short My America read to catch up. I would have liked them more as a younger person, but they are still fairly well written, if a bit simple, even for the target age.

[James]

Lots of people die but it's good.

[Laura]

I read this book aloud to my kids, and it was okay. It covers the first few months that Joshua's family spend in Oregon. Things are still very hard for them as they try to get settled. There are still tragic events which really happened to lots of families. The book is written at a low reading level, but with all of the disasters, I wouldn't want to hand it to a child to read until they were a bit older.

[Susan]

This book and the one before it my 9 year old son enjoyed and I thought it was a good overview of life on the Oregon Trail and settling in the West.

[Coco (freedom for all) Semi-Haitus]

Pretty simple story, wouldn't hand to a younger kid but the writing style suggests I do, which makes sense since it's being written by a 9-yr old boy.

[Bethany]

Read aloud with kids. Feb. '24.

It's OK. Liked the first one more.

[Brittany]

Other than a few inconsistencies I thought I noticed in the number of kids from book one to book two, this was a nice addition to the story of Josh.

[Katy Lovejoy]

I always love fictionalized accounts of the Oregon trail

[Meghan]

All the talk about rain felt excessive for someone who is from Oregon and deals with rain all the time. One of events mentioned in the story would probably be explained differently today than it was when this book was written in 2002. At least the story is unique in being about life in Oregon after the trail.

[Marie]

http://mariesbookgarden.blogspot.com/...

I just finished reading Book 2 with 8-year-old Kieran. We are going to visit the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City over spring break, and I wanted Kieran to have some historical context for the museum. I had tried to interest him in Little House on the Prairie, but either he was too young at the time or he was better able to relate to the male narrator. (Or perhaps it was the idea of traveling to Oregon that interested him.)

These books are very easy to read--he could have easily read them himself but instead I read to him while he was in bed. They depict the trail and homesteading from the perspective of a 10-year-old boy.

The only difficult thing about the books was the high number of deaths and tragedies. And it doesn't end when they finally arrive in Oregon. One of the deaths at the end of Book 2 (of Joshua's grandfather) really took the wind out of our sails, and at that point Kieran did not want me to read any more! A few days later, though, he wanted me to finish.

The books served their purpose: I know that Kieran will be able to relate more to what we see at the interpretive center...and 5-year-old Nicholas, too!

[Jenifer Dale]

The second book in the series also has quite a bit of tragic events and deaths so this is still a difficult read for some as of the deaths hit really close to home. Throughout the book we learn about what life is like for the family in Oregon and that it may not be everything they thought it would, though they're still trying to make it work as best they can.

[Duane]

In book two of Joshua's diary series, we get to see what his family is going through after having arrived in Oregon. Done through the eyes of a typical frontier 9 year old, the reader will see the struggles that families went through even after they survived the harsh Oregon Trail. While trying to clear the land, Joshua's family must battle sickness, floods and human emotions that they never expected. A great book for young readers.

[Molly]

This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not.

[Roxanne]

A 9 year old boy's diary of his life in the Williamette Valley in Oregon after his journey on the Oregon trail. He and his family experience heavy rains and flooding.

[Trista]

This one was much better than the account of Joshua's travels to Oregon.

[Karen]

Young adult literature. I gained an additional historical understanding from reading this book. I am so glad these novels will be around for my kids.

[Patrice]

:)

[Abigail]

This book is really good

[Kathy]

I haven't read book 1 and I think I'd like it better. This diary tells about life in the Oregon territory - a good way to learn about the early settlers.