Alone: The Journey of the Boy Sims

by Alan K. Garinger

Book Overview

Orphaned at thirteen, pioneer Joshua Sims joins a survey crew helping to build Michigan Road in order to pay for his family's northern Indiana homestead. When the surveyors' ink supply is accidentally... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 087195267X
• ISBN13: 9780871952677
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Indiana Historical Society
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 6.9"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

A intriguing novel of adventure

Traveling isn't as interesting as it used to be. "Alone: The Journey of the Boy Sims" tells the story Joshua Sim, a boy serving a survey crew constructing a road in Michigan. When he loses the ink supply, he must travel for more supplies and the novel details his journey, one filled with the strange characters of the nineteenth century from native Americans to runaway slaves. A intriguing novel of adventure, "Alone" is well worth the time.

Wonderful storytelling that will appeal to many ages

This historical fiction for middle readers, young adults and adults is about a 13-year-old Joshua Sim's 500-mile round trip walk from Indiana to Detroit to get a certain kind of long-lasting ink needed for mapmaking. Both of Joshua parents were dead; mother from illness and the heartbreak of having to leave her Virginia home because her husband wanted to go west to homestead. The father died after being gored by a bull. Before the father dies, he makes Joshua promise he'll save the homestead, which means he has to make money to finish the payments. That's how Sims became part of a survey and road building crew in Indiana. He was a most resourceful lad and listened carefully to any advice people gave him of how to survive. The idea that a young teen could be sent on such a journey makes sense when we realized that then children took on adult duties much earlier. The very interesting people that he met on his month-long journey tell us much about the times. He came across a group of runaway slaves, and then later met the bounty hunters after them. He met a mountain man whose cabin he used to be safe from an October ice storm. A fascinating, educated Native American man saved his life. The story is also about the strength of each of these people and how Sims learned to like them as people, when against all the stereotypes, prejudices and preconceived fears he had about these groups: The Irish, runaway slaves, Native Americans, canal builders, and other loners. Get your middle reader or young adult to put away something electronic and go back to 1833. Read the book yourself and you will have some most interesting conversations. These are the people who developed our country and made tremendous sacrifices. I enjoyed this story very much. The hardship of 1830 was the focus-weather, food, homesteading and then farming that land, no easy way to get places, etc. The author is an educator and has received a Young Hoosier (Indiana) Reader nomination for an earlier book. The glossary at the back was most helpful to better understand terms. I would have loved a more modern-day map so I could have traced his amazing journey. Armchair Interviews says: This book could open up some interesting conversations with your children.

Alone -- Amazing...

Alan Garinger, the writer who brought Jeremiah Stokely to young readers, has another amazing story in "Alone." The story of a 13 year old in in the early 19th century in the wilds of Indiana, "Alone" is a compelling, extraordinary fine read. Get it today.