Shelly's Book Journal

I love Harness's books on American History. This time, we take a trip on the Pony Express. The book does a great job of explaining the historic route and what it all involved. The illustrations are detailed and older children will have fun studying them more closely. The story is fast paced and exciting - further enhanced by the lively drawings. While describing the hardship, she keeps it real, but at a level that won't scare young listeners And we learn that Buffalo Bill Cody was one of these such riders. She has a list of all the names of the riders in the back. A nice addition. I would say reading level is about 4th grade, but kids from 5 to 12 may find something in this book to enjoy.