Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew. I was not paid to write this review but asked to give an honest critique. I pray it is helpful and beneficial to all who read it!
Our family finished reading Blue Skies West, the newest book in the horses in history series from Appaloosy Books! Written by Mattie Richardson, who first authored a book at just 16 years old, this historical fiction novel is a great independent read for kids ages 8-14, or as we did, as a family read-aloud for our kids ages 7, 9, 12, and 14.
This 12-chapter book is paperback and contains no illustrations within the story. However, the setting takes place along the Oregon Trail, and there is a map of the trail at the beginning of the book. Also, there are details at the end of the novel that explains the history of the Oregan Trail even further! Lots of great information and history tucked within Blue Skies West!
This is a unique read, as the perspective is written from the family horse Blue’s point of view. The storyline is full of adventure along the Oregan Trail as the family makes its way across the country. Encountering a variety of hardships along the way, our kids enjoyed listening to how the family endured many trials and how Blue endured them as well.
I would recommend this book to any homeschool family looking for a great read-aloud, or for seasoned readers in the age range of 8-14. I found it to be better for my older kids, closer to 12 as my younger ones wouldn’t be able to read it very quickly.
The story is easy to follow and fun to read out loud. There is a lot of suspense, and our kids really enjoyed the point of view of Blue. I was stopped many times for question-and-answer sessions as the kids wanted to know if things were really true. And they were! They thought that was really fun.
We would read other books in this series as well! Blue Skies West was a wonderful read for our family!
Be sure to visit the Homeschool Review Crew website to see how other families have enjoyed Blue Skies West!
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