Snowshoe Thompson by Nancy Smiler Levinson

Snowshoe Thompson (Amazon link) was a real person. An immigrant from Norway, he came to Placerville, California in the 1850's in search of gold. While he did not strike it rich, he did become a legend in that part of the country by daring to transverse the frigid Sierra Nevada mountains in the dead of winter in order to deliver the mail: a feat, I should say, that was only made possible because of his knowledge of cross country skiing.

In order to make this story accessible to children, the author takes the essence of Snowshoe's story (wiki link) and weaves it around a the plight of a little boy. In the story, Danny O'Riley wants to send a letter to his father who has gone away to prospect. He wants to tell his dad how much he misses him and that he would really like to have him home for Christmas. The problem, of course, is that the roads are already closed, and Danny is told it will not be until Spring that his letter can be delivered. It is in response to Danny and his community's anguish, that Thompson asserts that he can get the mail through. And Danny and Thompson become friends as Thompson shows him (and us) how to make the skis that help him save the day!


Rating ::: Good
Good Read-Aloud. Okay artwork. The AR designation for this book is 2.2, but non-reading children should like it as well. Certainly my 6 year-old son did.

What I really liked about the book was that it provided us with a jumping off point to discuss the California Gold Rush and how immigrants came to the United States from all over the world. We talked about how Snowshoe introduced skis to his area, and how other immigrants had other 'inventions' that they brought from their homelands, which benefited everyone here in the States.

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Reading Level: 2.2