Wagon Wheels

Name: Wagon Wheels
Brand: Findaway
Availability: InStock
Author: Barbara Brenner
ISBN: 9781430124870

Author: Barbara Brenner

Narrator: Steven Michael Harper

Unabridged: 18 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Live Oak Media

Published: 02/28/2010

Categories: Children's Fiction, Beginner Readers

Synopsis

In 1878, the three Muldie brother-ages eleven, eight, and three-and their father travel from Kentucky to Nicodemus, Kansas. Living in a dugout like other black pioneer families, they endure hunger and hardships before spring comes. Ed Muldie leaves the boys to take care of each other while he looks for a better homestead further west. They hunt, fish, and stay in the dugout until their father's letter arrives months later with a rough map. Following the Solomon River, they make the 150-mile journey. Their courage and resourcefulness keep them safe and bring them to their father. Based on actual events, Barbara Brenner's tale (Harper, 1978) is told by Johnny, the oldest boy. Steven Michael Harper gives all the characters distinctive voices. His slow, expressive reading gives weight to the simple sentences of the text and allows youngsters to follow along. Sound effects-prairie winds, water in the creek bed, the sound of horses and the banjo music-all make life on Kansas prairie very real. Page turn signals are optional. This exceptionally fine production raises a significant piece of historical fiction to a very high level.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Darla on November 20, 2022

This is such an incredible story -- and it is all true! Even though the narrative is in early chapter book form, it is still worth picking up for the unbelievable experiences of the Muldie boys. This is Kansas in pioneer times, so you will read about sod houses, wagons, brutal winters, Indians, prai......more

Goodreads review by Lara on May 02, 2019

This book describes an African American father and his three sons settling in the midwest. It is a great story that illustrates to children that not all African Americans in US history were slaves. Many created towns and accomplished great things. These boys are strong independent adventures who ove......more

Goodreads review by John Joshua on March 29, 2021

I am an eight year old little boy 👦 I love this book so much. Those boys were so brave. It was based on a true story.......more

Goodreads review by midnightfaerie on April 16, 2014

A book my 6 yr old loved, a little old for my preschoolers. A solid reading level 3 book, this reader has a good amount of advanced vocabulary words, but not so long that it discourages a new reader. Used it for his read out loud book, which was perfect. It took about 15 mins for him to read and had......more

Goodreads review by Cassandra on October 23, 2017

Child endangerment in the 1870s. Based on a true story. One wonders how much the story changed in the telling, as it apparently took place in 1878 and it's documented in the memoirs of somebody else who wasn't involved in the story. It's a rather long book. You could read it to a child, but it would p......more