The Tragic Trip of the Donner Party

From the Set Deadly Expeditions

In the spring of 1846, the Donner and Reed families joined a wagon train bound for California in hopes of a better life. But when the party took an untested shortcut, it set them down a tragic path. As they crossed the Sierra Nevada, heavy snow fell in the mountain pass. They were trapped. Supplies were already low, and now they faced a winter of starvation. Told through the gripping, full-color graphic novel format, this Deadly Expeditions tale transports readers back in time to follow the Donner Party's disastrous trek west and their struggle to survive.

Format List Price Your Price Qty
$36.65 $27.49
Interest Level Grade 3 - Grade 5
Reading Level Grade 3
Dewey Number 978/.02
Lexile 580L
ATOS Reading Level 3.6
Guided Reading Level Z
Language English
Publisher Capstone
Format Reinforced book
ISBN 9781666390704
Copyright 2023
Number of Pages 32
Dimensions 7 x 9
Graphics Full-color illustrations

Booklist Review of Deadly Expeditions

Not every journey is smooth sailing, as evidenced in the stories shared in the Deadly Expeditions series (4 new titles). These narrative nonfiction graphic novels, each with a different artist, take advantage of the visual format to share accounts of difficult adventures in history. They reference historical materials like diaries, photos, and records to help piece together each journey’s pitfalls, which are often weather-related. The Greely Expedition’s Fatal Quest for Farthest North shares the struggles of the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, led by U.S. Army Lieutenant Adolphus Greely, just 600 miles from the North Pole. Each work concludes with further details of each expedition, a map charting its course, a glossary, and supplemental resources.

Author: John Micklos Jr.

Illustrator: Daniele Dickmann