The Trail of Tears

by Joseph Bruchac

Book Overview

In 1838, settlers moving west forced the great Cherokee Nation, and their chief John Ross, to leave their home land and travel 1,200 miles to Oklahoma. An epic story of friendship, war, hope, and betrayal.

Step 5 Readers are stories told in chapters using longer paragraphs, for children who want to take the plunge into chapter books but still like colorful illustrations and photography.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679890521
• ISBN13: 9780679890522
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 0.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 7 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 4

Customer Reviews

Better Than More Difficult Books

I needed a book for my ESOL students that wouldn't be too difficult in reading or understanding but would offer a sophisticated and thorough way of telling the story of the Trail of Tears. This book does that job. It conveys a lot of sophisticated information that my students need to know along with an easy reading level and respectful story about the hardship of Native Americans. Best book I know of for children on the Trail of Tears.

Children love it

My 9 year old grand daughter wanted to know more about the Cherokee. I explained what I know- but the book brought the vision more clear.

Great illustrations

This book is written for grades 2-4 but is an interesting read for older children as well. Not only does it encourage your child to extend their vocabulary but also endorses history. This short story explains what the Trail of Tears was, defines the Indian removal policy, and introduces John Ross, Thomas Jefferson, Sequoyah, Andrew Jackson, and Tsali in a way that is easy to comprehend. As the Trail of Tears; this is an heart wrenching true story that all children of all races should read. I found myself struggling to control my voice which was on the verge of tears as I read to my five year old who was touch dramatically by the sorrowful pictures. I also noticed that my children remained attentive engrossed in this tragic event of their forefathers. I think that other children, even those not of the red race, would also settle down and desire to read in hopes of learning about the infamous event that touches so many people's hearts. It is a wonderful idea to introduce young children to other "American cultures" and American history early.

A Tragic Story

This is a history book of the "trail of tears." This book has a very good lesson: a lesson of hope and courage. This book also had three interesting facts. Sequoya invented an alphabet for the Cherokee language and his daughter was the first to use it. The Cherokees had to give up their land to the whites, and had to make a 1200 mile trip. It took them many months and over 4000 people died. The Whites wouldn't let them search for gold, either, even though there was gold in the water. I liked the book. The pictures were specific and detailed and helped me understand the text better. I would recommend this book to other Cherokees who want to know more about their ancestors, and to anyone interested in learning more about Cherokee, especially I they are 8 and older.