Death in the Donner Party: A Cause-and-Effect Investigation

Reviewed by: Kris Zuidema - retired school librarian, Standish, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 7, 2018

Review

This is part of the series "Cause + Effect Disasters." It is a brief account of what led up to the Donner's Party fate in 1846-1847 without going into gory detail. It points out the effect of decisions, actions, and circumstances in simple terms. It is engaging and packs a powerful punch. The colorful layout and captioned illustrations are appealing. In addition to many illustrations, original photographs of some of the people involved bring this investigation to life. Included are a glossary, source notes, selected bibliography, additional books and websites, index, and photo credits. This is a good choice for young readers doing research or simply wanting to understand this tragedy.

Overall Book Score: very good