Devil's Highway, the

by Stanley Applegate, James Watling (Illustrator)

Two brave, determined young pioneers travel along the dangerous Natchez Trace in 1811, searching for their missing families.
Fourteen-year-old Zeb and eleven-year-old Hannah team up to make their way safely down the Natchez Trace from Franklin, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi. Zeb, who does not believe the story he hears that his grandfather was killed by thieves along the trail, is determined to find him. Hannah, who escaped from the treacherous Mason gang, hopes to be reunited with both her Choctaw Indian friends and her family.
When the two adventurers reach the Choctaw village, Zeb is befriended by the Indians and rewarded for his bravery through initiation into the tribe. However, as the children narrowly escape life-threatening situations along their journey, they still face can Zeb find his grandfather? Is he still alive?
In author Stan Applegate’s riveting adventure tale brought to life by James Watling’s illustrations, Zeb and Hannah learn to value each other’s survival skills and courage.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick read

[Cadence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chose this one randomly for our daily read-aloud and really, really liked it. We're learning a lot about Choctaw culture and the dangers of travel on the Natchez Trace in the early 1800's. We're all anxious to read the sequel.