Papa and The Pioneer Quilt

Papa and The Pioneer Quilt

by Jean Van Leeuwen 

The Penguin Group, 2007

Papa and The Pioneer Quilt tells the story of a family who decides to move west on the Oregon Trail. The story is told from the perspective of a young girl named Rebecca. At first, she is very reluctant to move, but throughout their journey she finds a friend in a lady named Rachel who is making a quilt. Rebecca begins to collect fabric from her journey to begin not only her own quilt, but also her own story.

Although the characters are fictional, the hardships they face while traveling the Oregon Trail were very real.  I would read a story like this to students as an introduction or during a unit on the Oregon Trail. This book can help students see what families really faced, yet through the eyes of a child. Having a young narrator allows the students to think about what it would have been like if their family were put in that situation. Rebecca discusses how she feels alone, tired, and often troubled when she sees other facing hardships worse than her families.

The illustrations in the story help to create a picture in your mind of what the Trail looked like. The clothing and setting are very real to the time period and can also help students grasp what life was like at that time.