By Colorado Kids Advisory Board member Kelly Swainson

Title: I'm Sorry, Almira Ann
Author: Jane Kurtz
Illustrator: (same)
Publisher: Scholastic
Number of Pages: 120

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to travel the Oregon Trail, this is the book for you! Sarah Benton didn't think the Trail would be as hard as people told her. She had her best friend Almira Ann by her side! But the Trail proves more difficult than Sarah can imagine...

Despite the hardships, Sarah knows her family will make it to Oregon. But when Sarah causes an accident that hurts Almira Ann badly, will their friendship survive?

I really liked this book. It was very realistic, and you always knew what Sarah was thinking. I would recommend it to girls ages 6 to 10. The vocabulary
isn't well developed, so younger kids would like I'm Sorry, Almira Ann best. Similar books you might enjoy are Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie, by Kristiana Gregory and West to a Land of Plenty, by Jim Murphy. Both are Dear America books. (February, 2002)