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A Paradise Called Texas
Bluebonnet Award Nominee. - Searching for a better life, Mina, Papa, and Mama left their German fatherland aboard the brig Margaretha, bound for Texas. They had been told it was the paradise of North America, but when Mina steps onto the desolate beach at Indian Point on a cold December day in 1845, she wants to go back to Germany and Opa's cozy house in the village of Wehrestedt. But go on they must. In spite of mama's tragic death, Mina and Papa push inland with the Kaufmann family to the Texas hill country. There Mina encounters an Indian chief and his young daughter, Amaya, whose help she needs when Papa falls ill. Based on her ancestors' immigration to Texas, Janice Shefelman tells of a journey into the wilderness that is filled with hardship, tragedy and adventure . . . young readers will glimpse a fascinating view of what life in early Texas was like for German settlers.Texas
136 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
July 4, 2020
The first novel in a set of three and based on her own family history (as Janice Jordan Shefelman's ancestors did in fact migrate from Germany to Texas, in the 19th century), I have indeed and with very much reading pleasure found A Paradise Called Texas a wonderfully engaging and enlightening (even if often also very much depressing and heartbreaking) immigration from Germany to North America account (with a writing style and scope that are both simple and at the same time also profoundly emotional and stirring, descriptively wonderful, but yes, also often woefully and painfully realistic).
And well, if you do not want to read (or if you do not think that your children should be facing) immigration stories that also and indeed very vividly and starkly paint negative portraits which deal with the many calamities and horrors early immigrants often had to experience and face up to (broken promises, destroyed dreams, illness and death, and that many 19th century German pioneers had actually been told all kinds of "official" fabrications, that migrating from Europe to the United States, to North America, would be giving up a life of poverty and deprivation for an almost paradisical existence), you might well want to think twice about A Paradise Called Texas and definitely to at least approach A Paradise Called Texas with prudence and with always being ready and willing to discuss and to answer questions that many if not most children reading the novel should in my opinion be having and posing.
For while Janice Jordan Shefelman clearly points out why Mina and her parents have decided to leave Germany (and their extended families) forever behind for Texas, it is also made abundantly clear in A Paradise Called Texas that their arrival in Texas is not in ANY way an arrival in the paradise that had been promised them by immigration canvassers, that the assured and also already paid for land grants either do not exist or are actually not even officially meant to be used for homesteading, that there are no supplies and no help setting up even a provisional camp, that Texas is therefore not simply a paradise ripe for immediate farming, but a frontier area with a sometimes problematic climate (to which recent European immigrants are also not at all used, and thus have little ways of successfully coping).
With Mina and her family facing not only many setbacks but also the tragedy of the mother dying due to an outbreak of pneumonia, A Paradise Called Texas is as already mentioned above not really all that much a hopefully optimistic but rather a very much heartbreaking story, an account that I for one do very much and strongly appreciate for its realism but that many readers might well find almost too heavy-duty and especially so for younger readers (and yes, even with the hopeful ending and the sweet touch of Mina making friends with a Lippan Indian chieftain and his daughter, and then saving her father by insisting that the Lippan shaman come and heal Papa when he falls ill with the same ailment that had previously killed Mama, I do have to leave a caveat that A Paradise Called Texas is not really a novel for either the feint of heart or for those who really only desire to read and experience inherently optimistic and positively hopeful immigration tales).
But yes, I have indeed and absolutely found A Paradise Called Texas delightful and as such also very much emotionally stimulating and satisfying, and most definitely highly recommended for the right kind of readers, for both children and adults who appreciate realistic (even painful and sometimes depressing) immigration stories (and that Janice Shefelman always does call a spade a spade and is not above showing that migrating to a new country and a new and unknown area can be dangerous, disillusioning, beset with and by problems and even tragedies), with the icing on an already delicious cake being that in A Parardise Called Texas, not only does Janice Jordan Shefelman spell and use all of the included German words correctly, she also has a handy glossary at the back providing the English equivalents.
And well, if you do not want to read (or if you do not think that your children should be facing) immigration stories that also and indeed very vividly and starkly paint negative portraits which deal with the many calamities and horrors early immigrants often had to experience and face up to (broken promises, destroyed dreams, illness and death, and that many 19th century German pioneers had actually been told all kinds of "official" fabrications, that migrating from Europe to the United States, to North America, would be giving up a life of poverty and deprivation for an almost paradisical existence), you might well want to think twice about A Paradise Called Texas and definitely to at least approach A Paradise Called Texas with prudence and with always being ready and willing to discuss and to answer questions that many if not most children reading the novel should in my opinion be having and posing.
For while Janice Jordan Shefelman clearly points out why Mina and her parents have decided to leave Germany (and their extended families) forever behind for Texas, it is also made abundantly clear in A Paradise Called Texas that their arrival in Texas is not in ANY way an arrival in the paradise that had been promised them by immigration canvassers, that the assured and also already paid for land grants either do not exist or are actually not even officially meant to be used for homesteading, that there are no supplies and no help setting up even a provisional camp, that Texas is therefore not simply a paradise ripe for immediate farming, but a frontier area with a sometimes problematic climate (to which recent European immigrants are also not at all used, and thus have little ways of successfully coping).
With Mina and her family facing not only many setbacks but also the tragedy of the mother dying due to an outbreak of pneumonia, A Paradise Called Texas is as already mentioned above not really all that much a hopefully optimistic but rather a very much heartbreaking story, an account that I for one do very much and strongly appreciate for its realism but that many readers might well find almost too heavy-duty and especially so for younger readers (and yes, even with the hopeful ending and the sweet touch of Mina making friends with a Lippan Indian chieftain and his daughter, and then saving her father by insisting that the Lippan shaman come and heal Papa when he falls ill with the same ailment that had previously killed Mama, I do have to leave a caveat that A Paradise Called Texas is not really a novel for either the feint of heart or for those who really only desire to read and experience inherently optimistic and positively hopeful immigration tales).
But yes, I have indeed and absolutely found A Paradise Called Texas delightful and as such also very much emotionally stimulating and satisfying, and most definitely highly recommended for the right kind of readers, for both children and adults who appreciate realistic (even painful and sometimes depressing) immigration stories (and that Janice Shefelman always does call a spade a spade and is not above showing that migrating to a new country and a new and unknown area can be dangerous, disillusioning, beset with and by problems and even tragedies), with the icing on an already delicious cake being that in A Parardise Called Texas, not only does Janice Jordan Shefelman spell and use all of the included German words correctly, she also has a handy glossary at the back providing the English equivalents.
May 8, 2008
This was a good read for upper elementary aged kids, especially anyone doing a unit on historical Texas. It follows the journey of one girl from Germany as her family immigrates to Fredericksburg, with both adventure and hardship along the way. Part of a trilogy.
March 5, 2013
This book is very straight forward and I really like it.
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May 27, 2016I picked this book up at The Colony library and am glad I did- the girl in the story came over from Germany just a few years before my own family did, although my folks kept heading north instead of settling in the Hill Country. It's a good read and I think I'll read it to the little one.
July 9, 2008
This book was touching
March 10, 2011
A paradise Called Texas.
As an honest opinion I’d have to say that this fantastic book Written by one of the BEST authors ever (Janice Jordan Shefelman). Is defiantly a keeper! Ok so my Little sister was reading this book for a class book club, and she told me how great this book was. So I picked it up and read it. I finished this book in about 2 weeks and I happened to surprise myself on how amazing it was!
This book is for anyone who enjoys an enthusiastic book about events that happened long ago, like a book that states the places and events that took place years ago in history. One of the things that I really enjoyed in this book is the love shared by all the people there. And how they were all so close .I also think this is just one of those really emotional books that you’d probably need a Full tissue box right by your side. It can really just rip your heart out and make you cry.
It’s about a family of three, Papa, Mama, And Mina. They go out for search for a better life. They leave their Fatherland, Germany to go aboard the great, big Margaretha, Bound for Texas! They have also been told North America was a true Paradise.
But the Second Little Mina steps onto the desolate beach at Indian Point on a terrible, cold December day in 1845, all Mina Could wish from the bottom of her heart was to go back to her Grandpa (Opa) ‘s warm, cozy house.
Will everything be ok for the Jordan’s? Will they continue their long, hard trip to America? Or will they decide to just turn back? Anyways if you read you will find some great exciting moments the family has, then also some terrible tragic events. Read this book to find out the great adventure and also many hardships people faced deep down in history just to find their way to live a better free life.
I would also give this book 5 out of 5 stars!
As an honest opinion I’d have to say that this fantastic book Written by one of the BEST authors ever (Janice Jordan Shefelman). Is defiantly a keeper! Ok so my Little sister was reading this book for a class book club, and she told me how great this book was. So I picked it up and read it. I finished this book in about 2 weeks and I happened to surprise myself on how amazing it was!
This book is for anyone who enjoys an enthusiastic book about events that happened long ago, like a book that states the places and events that took place years ago in history. One of the things that I really enjoyed in this book is the love shared by all the people there. And how they were all so close .I also think this is just one of those really emotional books that you’d probably need a Full tissue box right by your side. It can really just rip your heart out and make you cry.
It’s about a family of three, Papa, Mama, And Mina. They go out for search for a better life. They leave their Fatherland, Germany to go aboard the great, big Margaretha, Bound for Texas! They have also been told North America was a true Paradise.
But the Second Little Mina steps onto the desolate beach at Indian Point on a terrible, cold December day in 1845, all Mina Could wish from the bottom of her heart was to go back to her Grandpa (Opa) ‘s warm, cozy house.
Will everything be ok for the Jordan’s? Will they continue their long, hard trip to America? Or will they decide to just turn back? Anyways if you read you will find some great exciting moments the family has, then also some terrible tragic events. Read this book to find out the great adventure and also many hardships people faced deep down in history just to find their way to live a better free life.
I would also give this book 5 out of 5 stars!
August 24, 2019
I read this aloud to my 7-year-old, who enjoyed it. It tells the story of some German immigrants who move to Texas when they realize there's no family land for them to inherit. The main character, a young girl named Mina, very much dominates the story. Her ideas save her family a number of times. But, this is a sad story. Mina's mother dies; a neighbor's baby dies. Mina's father very nearly does. It's not unlike the Little House series in terms of content, except for the fact that Shefelman does not shy away from writing about tragedy -- and Native Americans have a far more heroic role in the story. The writing is also more straightforward. The book ends kind of suddenly and oddly -- with father remarrying a very young neighbor girl -- but I do plan to read the sequel.
March 13, 2009
This is a well written story based on the experiences of the author's German ancestors' immigration to Texas. I think it has a lot of potential for a good read aloud in an upper elementary classroom, especially since there are some units available that have been made by teachers who have adopted this book in their classrooms. Although the story line is wonderful, many would agree it is a sad story because many people die on the journey to the new colony (including Mina's mother and their neighbor's baby girl), however it has a very hopeful ending with the message that although there will be struggle in starting a new life, there is always better hope for the future.
December 8, 2011
This was one of my favorite series when I was a young child. A young German girl leaves her home to immigrate to Texas with her family. Little House on the Prairie with a German/Texas twist. Perfect for me, the little German girl growing up in Texas. I wanted to find my own Daniel and have my own Indian blood sister. Too bad I lived during the wrong time period. All I had was Fredericksburg peaches. :)
December 20, 2019
This was lent to me by a friend in Fredericksburg, as she was explaining a bit about the local history and her ancestry (she is a sixth-generation Texan). She borrowed the entire trilogy from her daughter and gave them to me. Interesting, so now I have to find a book with the adult version of events.
August 25, 2011
A school read for my daughter in 5th grade last year. Although very well written and tied well into their Texas history lesson, I thought it's was terribly depressing with all them hardships. Some really nice German culture and accurate historical facts about their journey.
February 2, 2008
Tells alot about how families were and how they came to Texas.
November 8, 2022
A sweet, sad, little story. I appreciated the history although some of it was a stretch. I have a feeling this would have been a delightful read for 10-year-old me.
January 6, 2020
This is a great little Young Adult novel, about immigrants coming from Germany, through Galveston to Texas. Based on a true story, of author's family. Destination was Fredricksburg! Entertaining!
July 17, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. The town of New Braunfels where they stopped for a bit is only a few miles up Interstate 35 from where I live, so that was interesting. Except for Indian Point on the Gulf, I was familiar with the other towns they went through--Victoria, Cuero, Gonzalez, and finally Fredericksburg.
October 14, 2017
This served its purpose as a read aloud for upper elementary students, and it tied in well with the Texas history units we are studying. However, there were next to no writing craft pieces that I could pull from it for the students. There is not much descriptive writing or imagery within the book, and it made for a somewhat bland read aloud.
May 7, 2008
Fourth grade level - great fiction book about a German girl who settles in Texas.
March 9, 2009
i loved the book it was relly cool
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March 11, 2009i liked the part when mina ...
June 13, 2009
this book is very good your emotions change just like the charaters
February 18, 2013
I had to read this book for my history class, and hated it so much! I wouldn't have read it in my entire life if I wasn't frced to!
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May 7, 2013This is a really boring book at the beginning but in the middle and end,it starts ti get JUICY!
February 20, 2017
Okay, but a bit to emotional
October 25, 2017
It was an okay book, but it is sad at times. Very touching.
August 14, 2022
I’ve accumulated a lot of books for homeschool about immigrants lately. This one is not particularly great. It’s cool because I’m from Texas and I’m familiar with all the places mentioned in this side of the pond, but it’s quite a bit of fiction too. Quite a bit. The protagonist‘s dad gets sick and she goes to a Native American medicine man to help. Just pretty far out there. And I’m always leery of the (spoiler alert!) single-parent-gets-remarried-so-everything-is-fine-now trope.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2017
This book is about a family that is moving from Germany to Texas. It is a very long jorney, and it is not very easy, but the main character , Mina, can make it through the tough times. I love this book because it shows how even in the toughest times, family and friends will be there. I would recommend this book.
October 25, 2017
I think a Paradise Called Texas is a wonderful book because it shows expression, and a lot of figiurtive language. It is also feels very realistic like you are in the book. It has happy moments for example when they were moving to Texas and some sad moments when loving people die. You should read this book because it has a lot of unexpected twists and truly mean full.
August 22, 2020
Another reader for my Texas history class and another winner. I really liked it although I'm not convinced the boys in class will like it. But it was a pleasant read and a great reminder of the sacrifices that those that colonized Texas made. The ending was a titch predictable but you can't have everything in a school reader.
February 23, 2022
I very much recommend this book. it is pretty sad - I almost cried - but the ending is funny and good. There is no bad guy or in other words, everyone is good, but it has good amount of conflict that gets resolved in the end. This book will add value to your knowledge about Texas History.
December 15, 2020
I love it but it made me sad and now i think of my mother now and learn to treat her fairly.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews