Bold Journey: West with Lewis and Clark

I found this book in Turning Back Pages of Time, an American History book reading list, and it's one of the best we have read about Westward Expansion. I read this aloud to my children ages 6 and 8. Unique in that it is written from Hugh McNeal's perspective - a teenager who joins Meriweather Lewis & William Clark to find the Northwest Passage. You will feel, smell & see what Hugh McNeal felt. This is not a typical, dry history book - this is a living book! A must have for my personal library.

What sets this story apart from other fictionalized accounts of the Lewis & Clark Expedition is its unique perspective. Written from the point of view of a young member of the Corps of Discovery, Bold Journey is an insightful and absorbing narrative of the famed Mississippi-to-Pacific expedition as experienced by the men who lived it. As young Hugh chronicles the adventures, the hardships, and the occasional boredom of this monumental journey, he offers vivid glimpses into the personalities of Lewis and Clark. He also begins to grow in his understanding of people who are different from himself. Our family enjoyed reading this story aloud together.

This is a book that I have been reading to my children ages 5 and 7, and they LOVE it...and I love it too. The language is colorful and complex, the characters are memorable and texture of events or lack of events feel very real. I am hoping to find more historical fiction about Indian history, Lewis and Clark and early settlers. This sure beats reading children's books at bed time...and I am learning alot too. For example I didn't realize that whiskey was a staple in the army, or that it was 50 below by the Missouri in the winter time, and yet the Mandan Indians would play ball barely clothed with no apparant discomfort. The reader begins to get a feeling for what a ten days journey really is, even if it is a "small" hunting trip. Societal order, fitting in, bullying, choices and personal conduct are all explored by the first person in this story Hugh McNeal.

My book is called Bold Journey. A novel by Charles Bohner. Some of the main characters are Jack, Hugh McNeal, sir Lewis , captain Clark, captain Bissell, and Charley.The setting took place from the Ohio River to the Pacific Ocean. There was not really a problem until they ran into Indians. There was a big fight. During the fight Jack and Hugh ran into Charley while powdering up their muskets. They introduced each other to him. After they fled one of the Keelboats sunk. After they found the other Keelboat they also saw the Pacific Ocean a month later. Once they made it the ship mates jumped up and down as if they were drunk. What Charles Bohner is saying is never give up even if your goal seems imposable. If you like adventure I recommend this book because of when they looked for the other kealboat

This book is a very intresting book.It talks about the north-west passage. the explorers are Lewis and Clark are tring to find the north-west passage. This expodition starts in the north-east were the American and Canadian border is. They wanted to find the passage, instead of going around or above north America. Every night they keep jurnals of what they find.Everyday they try to find new routs to find the passage.Up and down they go what did they find who knows? Will they ever find the passage?What problems will they run into? I really enjoyed this book!!!!!!!!