Anita of Rancho Del Mar

This is a GREAT book. It is a MUST read for all 4th grade teachers and students. It has universal appeal, that I think anyone, who enjoys reading about history, in a kind of you are there style, will enjoy. I have read this book yearly to my 4th grade classes since it was first published. The story is based in the Rancho period of California history. It is unique in that it is about a girl, and how daily life on a rancho affects her. The girl is young and the kids easily relate to her. The story itself is fiction. But, it is set on a Rancho that really did exist in what would later become Ventura County. The names of the people that the girl and her family interact with are real names of local founding families, and are historically accurate. A LOT of research has gone into making it as historically accurate as it can be. There are other good fiction stories for other periods of California history, but usually a boy is the main focus. It is WONDERFUL to have a book that has a girl as the main character and to have one that strives to be historically accurate while still telling a good, engaging story.