Happy Trails: Tales for teens of the Old West at the Bettendorf Public Library
compiled May, 2004

Spirit Horse by Ned Ackerman
YA F ACKE
When a Siksika boy living on the Plains during the 1770s becomes separated from a raiding party, he discovers the legendary spirit horse which he attempts to track down and tame.

Prairie Whispers by Frances Arrington
YA F ARRI
Only twelve-year-old Colleen knows that her baby sister died just after she was born and that Colleen put another baby in her place, until the baby's father shows up and makes trouble for her and her family on the South Dakota prairie in the 1860s.

The Barn by Avi
YA F AVI
In an effort to fulfill their dying father's last request, nine-year-old Ben and his brother and sister construct a barn on their land in the Oregon Territory.

Sacajawea by Joseph Bruchac
YA F BRUC
A fictionalized account of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, told from the points of view of Sacajawea and William Clark. A lot of research went into this - there are even excerpts from Lewis and Clark's actual diaries. But it doesn't get bogged down in tiny details. It's a good adventure tale, made better because it really happened.

Soldier Boy by Brian Burks
YA F BURK
A boy who grew up in the slums of late nineteenth-century Chicago runs away, joins the cavalry, and fights with General Custer in the battle of Little Big Horn.

Walks Alone by Brian Burks
YA F BURK
After a surprise attack leaves many of her people dead, fifteen-year-old Walks Alone, an Apache girl wounded in the massacre, struggles to survive and rejoin the refugee band.

My Antonia by Willa Cather
YA F CATH, F CATH
An inspiring story of a strong woman on the prairie.

Prairie Songs by Pam Conrad
YA F CONR
Louisa's life in a loving pioneer family on the Nebraska prairie is altered by the arrival of a new doctor and his beautiful, tragically frail wife.

The Ballad of Lucy Whipple by Karen Cushman
YA F CUSH
In 1849, twelve-year-old California Morning Whipple, who renames herself Lucy, is distraught when her mother moves the family from Massachusetts to a rough California mining town.

Together Apart by Dianne Gray
YA F GRAY
In 1888 in Prairie Hill, Nebraska, a few months after barely surviving a deadly blizzard that has killed two of her brothers, fourteen-year-old Hannah goes to work at the home of a wealthy widow with progressive social ideas, where she finds Isaac, who is also trying to make a new life for himself. Told from alternating points of view of Hannah and Isaac.

Sunshine Rider: The First Vegetarian Western by Ric Lynden Hardman
YA F HARD
In the late 1800s while on a cattle drive which takes him north from Texas, seventeen-year-old Wylie learns that it is no longer necessary to run from the father he never knew.

Jim Dandy by Hadley Irwin
YA F IRWI
Living after the Civil War on a Kansas homestead with his stern stepfather, thirteen-year-old Caleb raises a beloved colt and becomes a part of General Custer’s raid on the Cheyenne.

The Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Karr
YA F KARR
In 1860, a somewhat simple-minded fifteen-year-old boy attempts to herd one thousand turkeys from Missouri to Denver, Colorado, in hopes of selling them at a profit.

Oh, Those Harper Girls by Kathleen Karr
YA F KARR
In West Texas in 1869, Lily and her five older sisters participate in a series of misguided schemes to save their father's ranch.

Clem’s Chances by Sonia Levitin
YA F LEVI
In 1860, fourteen-year-old Clem Fontayne learns from fellow travelers about important topics of the day, including the Mormon migration, slavery, and the Pony express, as he journeys from Missouri to California in search of his father.

The Sacrifice by Diane Matcheck
YA F MATC
Determined after her twin brother’s death to prove that she is the Great One of the prophecy, “Weak-One-Who-Does-Not-Last” faces many dangers, not the least of which is her escape from the Pawnee, who plan to sacrifice her for their harvest, before she gains her place within the tribe.

The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner by Walter Dean Myers
YA F MYER
Fifteen-year-old Artemis journeys from New York City to Tombstone, Arizona, in 1882, to avenge the murder of his uncle.

Adaline Falling Star by Mary Pope Osborne
YA F OSBO
Adaline Falling Star, daughter of the legendary scout Kit Carson and his Arapaho wife, embarks on a harrowing journey in search of her father--and discovers herself.

Cowboy Ghost by Robert Newton Peck
YA F PECK
Titus has to prove he's a man, but not in his father's image.

Second Bend in the River by Ann Rinaldi
YA F RINA
In 1798 Rebecca, a young settler in the Ohio territory, meets the Shawnee called Tecumseh and develops a deep friendship with him.

Shane by Jack Schaefer
YA F SCHA
Can gunfighter Shane leave his past behind?

The Captain's Dog: My Journey With The Lewis And Clark Tribe by Roland Smith
YA F SMIT
Captain Meriwether Lewis's dog Seaman describes his experiences as he accompanies his master on the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the uncharted western wilderness.

These Is My Words by Nancy Turner
YA F TURN
A diary of a young girl's travels in the Arizona territories, These Is My Words follows Sarah through her whole life. Good romance without being mushy, and a riveting snapshot of an earlier life. I stayed up until 3:00 am to finish it.