Race for the Prairie

by Aileen Fisher

That’s what everyone said it would be–the greatest race in history! “Come September 16, 1893, we’ll see the biggest hoss race in the world,” folks said. “Nearly six-and-a-half million acres of land for settlement. Why, that’s as big as the whole state of Vermont. Far and away bigger than the state of Massachusetts. It’s even bigger than Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island put together! Come September 16, we’ll see the last great run for cheap land. The last frontier!

Becky and her family leave their farmland in the Ozarks to join nearly 100,000 people in a race for homesteads during the Cherokee Strip Land Run of 1893. With a fast horse named Sprinter, Becky’s family hopes to get some of the best land, but unexpected events threaten their dreams. Interesting characters, an exciting plot, and feel-good messages all come together in this wonderful historical fiction book.

The Mission of The Good and the Beautiful Library
-To bring back wholesome, high-quality books that were previously hard or impossible to find
-To offer new, uplifting literature and clean-language versions of worthy classics
-Give parents a place to buy books that are always clean, uplifting, and of the highest value

Genres: Historical Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

Aileen Lucia Fisher was an American writer of more than a hundred children's books, including poetry, picture books in verse, prose about nature and America, biographies, Bible themed books, plays, and articles for magazines and journals. Her poems have been anthologized many times and are frequently used in textbooks. In 1978 she was awarded the second National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children.

Reviews

[Stephanie Bammes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our family read this aloud in conjunction with our American history this year. We learned a lot about the Oklahoma Land Rushes in the 1880’s and 1890’s through it. It was filled with wholesome messages about honesty, integrity, bravery, and overcoming adversity. It doesn’t touch anything the prior displacement of the Native Americans except to say they sold the land (historically accurate but not the whole story), so we supplemented with some backstory. Overall, the kids enjoyed it.

[Fiona Robison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this with the kids for homeschool. Learned in great detail about the time before and during the great land run on the Cherokee Strip in 1893. The story is told through the eyes of a young teen who is leaving the Ozarks with her parents and two little brothers. They go through the usual ups and downs and rewards for good choices. Written in 1956 it is detailed and slower moving than most stories written these days, but the picture that is painted left us wanting to know more. The vernacular used by the characters help to keep you in the place and time of the southern pioneers. Fun uplifting read with a good combination of Cliff hangers and passive moments and an overall message of hope and that right makes right.

[Samuel Tobias · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best Good and Beautiful book that I have read.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it with my 10 y.o. daughter. Good historical fiction that taught both of us more about the settling of Oklahoma. A clear goal of the book is to instill or reinforce values like integrity, hard work, and selfless service and it does a good job of that.

[Nicole Tobias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Good and Beautiful book we’ve read so far!!! I loved it! Becky and her family head to the promised land to race for 160 acres! They have problems to solve along the way. Becky learns that 2 wrongs don’t make a right. It turns out well for the fletcher family!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little historical fiction about a family participating in the Oklahoma land rush of 1893. Learned some history and there were some great lessons about honesty and kindness in here too. We read it as part of our homeschool history course.

[Stephanie VanAlmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read with the girls for school. I think I liked it more than they did.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story for kids about the Land Run of 1893.

[Anne-Marie Moat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even my son enjoyed this one!