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My Name Is America
The Journal of Jedediah Barstow: An Emigrant On The Oregon Trail, Overland, 1845
Orphaned after losing his parents in a rafting accident, Jedediah Barstow must find the courage to follow his family's dream westward along the Oregon Trail.
Having lost his parents and younger sister when they tried to ford a river along the Oregon Trail, Jedediah Barstow decides to make his way to the Oregon Territory on his own. He is "adopted" by the Henshaw family, who allow him to travel in their wagon in exchange for his help with the daily maintenance work along the way. Jedediah's adventures, along with the friends he makes and the lessons he learns, make for an unforgettable story of a brave young boy who sets off to discover a wild, new world.
Having lost his parents and younger sister when they tried to ford a river along the Oregon Trail, Jedediah Barstow decides to make his way to the Oregon Territory on his own. He is "adopted" by the Henshaw family, who allow him to travel in their wagon in exchange for his help with the daily maintenance work along the way. Jedediah's adventures, along with the friends he makes and the lessons he learns, make for an unforgettable story of a brave young boy who sets off to discover a wild, new world.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2002
4 people are currently reading
522 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Levine
88 books51 followersEllen Levine's books have won many awards and honors, including the Jane Addams Peace Award. Although she enjoys writing both fiction and nonfiction, most of Ellen's books for young readers have been nonfiction. "Writing nonfiction lets me in behind the scenes of the story. I enjoy learning new things and meeting new people, even if they lived 200 years ago."
Ellen Levine was born in New York City. She received her B.A. degree in Politics from Brandeis University, graduating Magna cum laude. She has a Master's degree in political science from the University of Chicago and a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law. She has worked in film and television, taught adults and immigrant teenagers in special education and ESL programs, and served a law clerkship with Chief Judge Joseph Lord, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. A former staff attorney with a public interest law group, Levine now devotes her time to writing, lecturing, and teaching. She is on the faculty of Vermont College's MFA program in writing for Children and Young Adults.
Ellen Levine divides her time between New York City and Salem, New York.
Ellen Levine was born in New York City. She received her B.A. degree in Politics from Brandeis University, graduating Magna cum laude. She has a Master's degree in political science from the University of Chicago and a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law. She has worked in film and television, taught adults and immigrant teenagers in special education and ESL programs, and served a law clerkship with Chief Judge Joseph Lord, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. A former staff attorney with a public interest law group, Levine now devotes her time to writing, lecturing, and teaching. She is on the faculty of Vermont College's MFA program in writing for Children and Young Adults.
Ellen Levine divides her time between New York City and Salem, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 21 reviews
January 20, 2023
The journey along the Oregon Trail was often seen as the first stage to a new life in Oregon. What started out as an exciting adventure soon turned to one fraught with many dangers and the author spared no perils in this story with loss of both life and limb. Jedediah sees both good and bad in his fellow travelers in the wagon train and also in the events that happen along the way and by the end of the story you can see how he is maturing into a young man.
Looking back, I did enjoy the story and the male perspective, and while I generally love pioneering stories, this one was quite slow. It wasn't as captivating as other books in the series, perhaps due to the long journey where much of the day to day is the same. Despite this, it did cause me to think more about the mental and emotional effects gained and lost from the experience. There is much to learn about this historically significant migration and it goes beyond just the physical journey. Jedediah's journal offers a subtle look at the personal feelings one may have felt while adventuring and enduring on the overland trail.
Looking back, I did enjoy the story and the male perspective, and while I generally love pioneering stories, this one was quite slow. It wasn't as captivating as other books in the series, perhaps due to the long journey where much of the day to day is the same. Despite this, it did cause me to think more about the mental and emotional effects gained and lost from the experience. There is much to learn about this historically significant migration and it goes beyond just the physical journey. Jedediah's journal offers a subtle look at the personal feelings one may have felt while adventuring and enduring on the overland trail.
June 11, 2015
This is the fictional 1845 journal of Jedidiah Barstow. It is one of the Dear America series written for teenager readers. The journal begins about a week after Jed’s family; father, mother, and little sister, were drowned in the Kaw River early on their trip west. After bouncing around, he finally joins with Mr. Henshaw and his wife. Jed experiences many of the hardships people experience on the Oregon Trail. He and his friends take many short side trips get up close experiences with many of the natural wonders they pass along the way, such as; Chimney Rock and Independence rock. The story provides a good picture of the hardships and pains early pioneers experienced as they traveled west in wagon trains. It also describes the country they pass through along the Oregon Trail from Missouri to the Oregon territory.
The story was interesting; incorporating descriptions of the day to day experiences alone the route. Jed learns to appreciate the different people with different backgrounds who have banned together on dangerous trip to a new life.
The story was interesting; incorporating descriptions of the day to day experiences alone the route. Jed learns to appreciate the different people with different backgrounds who have banned together on dangerous trip to a new life.
December 13, 2015
As far as Oregon Trail stories go, this one was pretty dull. The journey followed the usual route and made sure to note the usual landmarks, but this one seemed more like the summary of a story. The characters are forgettable and there really isn't enough historical detail to keep me interested for long. It's a short book, but it was a chore to get through. Normally I enjoy books in this series more than this, but this was a rare disappointment.
June 20, 2017
4 stars for Journal of Jedediah Barstow
Thoughts and Plot
This journal starts two weeks after Jedediah Barstow loses his parents and younger sister to a river crossing accident. Their wagon tipped over, drowning everyone on it. Jed was thrown from where he was rescued and managed to grab hold of a horse's tail before he was swept away down stream.
Jed is given the choice of turning back or continuing on to Oregon as his parents planned to do. With nothing but the clothes on his back and the diary/journal of his mother's someone managed to save Jed decides to stay with the wagon train. He takes an offer from Mr. Henshaw to work for his keep as they slowly cross the great plains to Opportunity Oregon. Mr. Henshaw is a rough man who takes to yelling (mostly at Jed) about everything. He's not the nicest man and he's a bit lazy, letting Jed cover his shifts keeping watch over the cattle at night.
Through the kindness of strangers (mostly Mrs. Henshaw, Mr. Fenston, J Mr. Littleton), Jed makes his way. Mrs. Henshaw keeps him fed and watered and also sacrifices cloth in order to make him a second shirt, Mr. Henshaw lets him sleep under the wagon with a blanket (and lets Mrs. Henshaw feed him), Mr. Fenston nursed him back to health and always had a cure for whatever ailed someone, Mr. Littleton gave Jed a job and $3 in advance to buy himself a pair of leather pants that could withstand the journey as well as teaching him to mend his own shoes and to whittle wood. There are others such as Charles and Lucy who befriend him and help him with things such as improving his writing skills.
This journal has cool things that the Dear America diaries (all girl narrators) don't mention. Such as rolling an oxen over into a hole to clip it's hooves and the pulling tar over it in order to fix cracked hooves, an actual amputation happening, fighting off a bear.
In Conclusion
This was a pretty good read and keeps up with the Dear America format, BUT it's more for boys!!! After all, what young man wants to read about a girl's adventure on the Oregon Trail when they could read a boy's and find it more relate-able?
Age Range: Older middle grade and up
Content: has a few Damns, taring oxen's feet, rattle snake bites and resulting amputation of a leg, quite a few people die (not graphic), deals a bit with racism (in a good way), cattle theft, drinking...think that's about it.
Thoughts and Plot
This journal starts two weeks after Jedediah Barstow loses his parents and younger sister to a river crossing accident. Their wagon tipped over, drowning everyone on it. Jed was thrown from where he was rescued and managed to grab hold of a horse's tail before he was swept away down stream.
Jed is given the choice of turning back or continuing on to Oregon as his parents planned to do. With nothing but the clothes on his back and the diary/journal of his mother's someone managed to save Jed decides to stay with the wagon train. He takes an offer from Mr. Henshaw to work for his keep as they slowly cross the great plains to Opportunity Oregon. Mr. Henshaw is a rough man who takes to yelling (mostly at Jed) about everything. He's not the nicest man and he's a bit lazy, letting Jed cover his shifts keeping watch over the cattle at night.
Through the kindness of strangers (mostly Mrs. Henshaw, Mr. Fenston, J Mr. Littleton), Jed makes his way. Mrs. Henshaw keeps him fed and watered and also sacrifices cloth in order to make him a second shirt, Mr. Henshaw lets him sleep under the wagon with a blanket (and lets Mrs. Henshaw feed him), Mr. Fenston nursed him back to health and always had a cure for whatever ailed someone, Mr. Littleton gave Jed a job and $3 in advance to buy himself a pair of leather pants that could withstand the journey as well as teaching him to mend his own shoes and to whittle wood. There are others such as Charles and Lucy who befriend him and help him with things such as improving his writing skills.
This journal has cool things that the Dear America diaries (all girl narrators) don't mention. Such as rolling an oxen over into a hole to clip it's hooves and the pulling tar over it in order to fix cracked hooves, an actual amputation happening, fighting off a bear.
In Conclusion
This was a pretty good read and keeps up with the Dear America format, BUT it's more for boys!!! After all, what young man wants to read about a girl's adventure on the Oregon Trail when they could read a boy's and find it more relate-able?
Age Range: Older middle grade and up
Content: has a few Damns, taring oxen's feet, rattle snake bites and resulting amputation of a leg, quite a few people die (not graphic), deals a bit with racism (in a good way), cattle theft, drinking...think that's about it.
January 31, 2017
The journal of Jedediah Barstow is a very good book that takes you on a journey of a young boy who is traveling the Oregon trail, he faces many challenges including bears, robbers, deadly rivers, rattle snakes and loses that impact his position in the journey. he makes many friends that take him in when the times get rough and he finds himself alone. find out what happens to jedediah on the incredible journey of the Oregon trail.
January 10, 2015
This was a drudgery to read through. I usually zoom through the Dear America books. This one took me twice as long. I recommend reading Kristiana Gregory's "Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie" instead. It's also a diary format story about the Oregon trail. The protagonist is a girl, however. But I found that story much more enjoyable. In fact, Gregory's Dear America books rank among my favorites in the series.
May 6, 2016
This book i read for my April review. I can say, this book expertly described the harsh reality and hard times that many pioneers experienced on the Oregon trail. Indians, diseases, stampedes, etc. The book follows an emigrant boy named Jed (Or Jedediah). His parents were lost while trying to ford a river. Eventually he takes up with another wagon, and continues on the trail. I would give this book a 4.5/5.
September 1, 2015
A decent book about the Oregon Trail (one of my favorite things to read about). It goes more into the gritty details of how hard the journey was than other books I've read, but aside from that, there wasn't much substance to the book. Oh, well. It would be good for reluctant readers.
3/5 on here, 7/10 for myself
3/5 on here, 7/10 for myself
September 11, 2017
An interesting but fictional account of what it was like to travel the Oregon Trail. I'm sure Jedediah and his fellow travelers had far more mishaps and frustrations than he wrote about in this tiny journal. Yet its a fairly accurate account of what happened to those brave men and women who blazed the trail across this great land.
December 12, 2012
jedediah is pretty good there is a big adventure that happens.It was ok it is pretty adventures.he goes on a giant journey to oregon and it changes his life. Jedediah said i hate orgean but something happens at the end.
March 9, 2016
The story was good, but I was disappointed with the use of swear words in a book geared for middle elementary students. My son's comment was, "how did scholastic books let this though editing?" I agree, good question.
December 26, 2011
I generally find pioneering interesting and preferred this story to Douglas Allen Deed's tale.
January 19, 2015
Using for 4th grade book clubs- no major rising action as it is a journal. kids are fascinated by the history. Some major themes include overcoming fears, growing up, carrying out a legacy, family.
February 8, 2017
It took me so "long" to read this book.... it bored me to death!
I would've rated it 1 star, but I liked the historical notes at the end.
I would've rated it 1 star, but I liked the historical notes at the end.
May 12, 2018
I'm reading this to my inclusive book club later this month so I hope they like it more than I did.
November 15, 2021
Not sure how to feel about this one.
It’s probably one of the more brutal books in the series, and as an adult I realized that although not explicitly stated, there is a character that likely committed suicide in somewhat graphic detail.
There’s racism. There’s a surprising amount of anti-semitism that seems to be dropped like halfway through.
It’s probably one of the more brutal books in the series, and as an adult I realized that although not explicitly stated, there is a character that likely committed suicide in somewhat graphic detail.
There’s racism. There’s a surprising amount of anti-semitism that seems to be dropped like halfway through.
August 6, 2020
Other books I’ve read about the Oregon trail had more sickness. Accidents in this book but not much sickness. Maybe that due to the age of the targeted audience. I thought this book was grand! It made me laugh a few times & it made me cry a few times. Seriously, does it get better than that?
November 23, 2020
Certainly an entertaining read. I was frustrated with Jedediah for staying with the Henshaws instead of Mr. Fenster, but it worked out in the end.
September 3, 2025
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 19 of 21 reviews