My Name Is America: The Journal of Jedediah Barstow, an Emigrant on the Oregon Trail

by Ellen Levine and Tricia Levenseller

Book Overview

Orphaned after losing his parents in a rafting accident, Jedediah Barstow must find the courage to follow his family's dream westward along the Oregon Trail. Having lost his parents and younger sister... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439063108
• ISBN13: 9780439063104
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.8" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

its all good

In this book a young boy looses his family when they all drown but him. In his diary he talks about all of the people that are on the trip with him, including a Jew who is unliked by everyone except the blacksmith, whom he works for, and an abusive husband who he stands up to after the husband after he scares his daughter so badly that she hides, crouching, underneath the wagon. I liked this book a whole lot. It was a wonderful book. And so short! I read it in one night and I stayed up to finish it. I just didn't want to go to sleep not knowing what would happen next. One of the story elements in this story is suspense. There is so much suspense that it is almost like a thriller novel except not scary.

Jedediah Barstow

It takes place on the Oregon Trail. The main character is Jedediah Barstow. After his father, mother, and sister drown during a river crossing Jedediah keeps his mother's journal as his own. After the accident he keeps to himself for a while. then he makes new friends. But but the person he stayed with is very rude to him. His name was Mr. Henshaw. Jedediah chose to stay on the Oregon Trail to fulfill his parents "DREAM". He goes through my hardships but in between there is happiness.I loved this book. It not only showed what hardship they went through, but it shows the good too. I would reamend this book to anyone who loves a good read.

Another Review (...)

The Journal of Jedediah Barstow is very good. It starts out right after Jedediah's family dies in a flood in a thunder storm. He takes over the journal his mother had been writing and talks about the struggles with food and moving over the lanscape. He tells about the other travlers. He also tells about wagon life. The book ends a few days before they get to oregon. All in all it is a good book.

Movin' On Up

The Journal of Jedediah Barstow was a wonderful book. I couldn't put it down. The main character lives through a hard journey, even after his parents and sister died fording a river. He gets picked on because he's an orphan and he gets tired of it. He becomes the hero all through the book, first with the bear attack, and then with a friends' son after a fatal rattlesnake bite. Ellen Lavine is a great writer. I think this book had elements of forshadowing because he always said, "It went like this".

A nice depiction of the Oregon Trail

After the rest of his family drowned while fording a river on the Oregon Trail, Jedediah Barstow finds himself all alone and carrying on the family "dream" which to him has already been shattered. Adopted by the Henshaw family Jedediah finds himself braving the trails of the old west to carry on the family dream. Even through the constant complaints from grouchy Mr. Henshaw Jedediah perseveres knowing he is the only one to fulfill the dream of his family. Through fording rivers, meeting Indians, getting stampeded by bufflo, and carving his name on Chimney Rock, you get to look into the life of a brave young boy carrying on the family dream.