The Josefina Story Quilt (I Can Read Level 3)

I love this little book. It's the story of a family moving west. Faith wants to take her pet hen, Josefina, but her father doesn't want the trouble of bringing along a hen that no longer lays eggs. Faith finally gets her way, and the hen causes all kinds of trouble, but ends up redeeming herself. The reading level is perfect for second graders. There are short chapters and the exictement is high. Who knew a hen could cause such adventures? Each chapter has a quilt block to go with it. Faith works on the quilt blocks as they travel and each block tells a story about part of the journey. In the end they sew the blocks together to make a Josefina story quilt. I use this along with books such as The Quilt Story by Tomie dePaola and Patricia Polacco's The Keeping Quilt during a unit on quilts. All of my students enjoy this one!

The Josefina Story Quilt, by Eleanor Coerr is a sad and happy book. Faith is a girl and she has a pet hen, named Josefina. Like lots of other families in 1850, Faith's family is going west to California. Faith wants to take her pet hen(Josefina) with them but her Pa says no. Finally her Pa lets her take Josefina along. On the way lots of sad things happen:2 old people die along with 3 oxen. Faith makes quilt squares on the way to tell what's happening. Josefina saves the day at the end. I would reccomend this easy reader to you. It has a bittersweet ending. I say this book is 4 out of 5.

My six year old kept checking out this book at her school library over and over. She can read the entire book to us. She even dressed up as Josefina for storybook character day at her school. It is a great book full of love and adventure. The first time you read it you will cry but your child will read it over and over again.

Our seven year old loved this, kind of a "Little House on the Prairie" type story only vveerryy simple. A girl doesn't want to leave her hen behind on the trip west by covered wagon. In the end, the hen gets to tag along, and the events that ensue become quilt squares pieced together to make a quilt which the girl treasures long after the hen is gone. Cute, simple illustrations. Perfect length "chapters" for those to whom "chapters" are very important! :) Thumbs up.

We never tire of Josefina's story. It was a great introduction to the western migration, and sparked my daughters curiosity about the prairie and the period. I would recommend it.