Black Storm Comin' by Diane Lee Wilson
2007-08 WAW Award Nominee (Grades 6-8)
September 10, 2007
A sign in the telegraph office reads: "Wanted. Young, wiry fellows, not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred." A twelve-year-old boy -- saddled with the responsibility of becoming the "man" in the family, yet anxious to ride like the wind -- is tempted to apply for this formidable Pony Express position. Indeed, the Westcott family, who have traveled from Missouri en route to California via covered wagon, encounter all kinds of obstacles -- mostly of the human kind -- which makes their California goal seem unattainable at times. In this page-turning historical novel, readers will not only appreciate the skill and importance of the Pony Express riders, but also empathize with the young boy's lesson of how "we are more alike than different," and "you can't run from who you are." The stamina and strength of the horses in this story are also something to be admired.
Characters: Colton Wescott, Ma, Pa, Althea, Jewel, Aunt Charlotte, Badger, Bolivar Roberts, Jeremiah McGahee, Luzenia Tullis, Newt
Setting: 1860, the Pony Express trail, from the Utah Territory, across the Sierra Nevada and into Sacramento, California
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