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Adventures in the West, Adventures in the West, 0803259743, 0-8032-5974-3, 978-0-8032-5974-4, 9780803259744, Edited by Susanne George Bloomfield and Eric Melvin Reed
, , Adventures in the West, 0803215657, 0-8032-1565-7, 978-0-8032-1565-8, 9780803215658, Edited by Susanne George Bloomfield and Eric Melvin Reed
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Adventures in the West
Edited by Susanne George Bloomfield and Eric Melvin Reed
paperback
2007.
302 pp.
14 Illus.
978-0-8032-5974-4
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 Before MP3 players, DVDs, and video games, before even TV and radio, American children entertained themselves by reading. Often what they read were popular magazines aimed at the whole family; a weekly newspaper such as The Youth’s Companion or a monthly magazine like St. Nicholas were about all a turn-of-the-century family could afford. But what these publications afforded was invaluable, and it is this education in imagination and American life that Adventures in the West revisits. Adventures in the West brings together twenty-six stories from The Youth’s Companion and St. Nicholas to offer a unique perspective on the values of the time. The stories also reveal the common myths, attitudes, and prejudices of life on the western frontier, reflected in the lessons these publications imparted to a young audience. To enhance the reader’s understanding, the editors have added historical and cultural background for each story. Some of the best writers of the time, including L. Frank Baum, Hamlin Garland, and Mary Austin, write of a West that mirrors American history and the values the authors sought to promote. Filled with the exploits of cowpunchers, pioneers, courageous Indians, and plucky animals, these riveting stories also embody the beliefs and experiences of an era and tell more than one story of their day.
 Susanne George Bloomfield is Distinguished Martin Professor of English at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Eric Melvin Reed is a graduate assistant in English at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
 "These are stories about cowboys, Indians, animals, pioneer families, and boys and girls. They reflect the time in which they were written, but their underlying lessons of decency and morality are just as valued today. . . . This is a fine addition to Western Americana fiction collections and will be useful to literature and history teachers."—School Library Journal “The stories do more than relate interesting tales. They are windows to the world west of the Mississippi as it transformed from wilderness to a land of farms and cities, from the preserve of Indians to a land claimed mostly by white settlers. . . . [Readers] will appreciate these stories for their adventures, pioneer spirit and colorful characters.”—Omaha World-Herald "[T]he stories are uplifting and teach the value of honesty, pluck, hard work, and true grit."—KLIATT “Adventures in the West: Stories for Young Readers is laudable for its restoration of these literary gems and for the scholarship of its editors, who bring to us stories that both entertain us and remind us of a time when American children were taught the resourcefulness and self-reliance of the American spirit.”—Western American Literature
“After years of collecting and researching the stories, the editors conclude that [the stories] ‘not only reveal what Americans wanted their children to learn, believe, and remember, but also reflect society’s interests and beliefs at the time.’ What is more, they are enjoyable to read and their collection in this volume allows today’s families access to the tales that enthralled their great-,great-great, and even great-great-great grandparents.”—Kansas History
“The various writing styles and authenticity of subject matter make these stories an excellent way to introduce students to American West culture.”—True West  Finalist for the 2008 New Mexico Book Award - Anthology Category
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