Reviews

Donner Dinner Party: A Pioneer Tale by Nathan Hale

gothradiohour's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

It's a grisly subject matter to tackle, especially in a children's graphic novel. I commend Hale for being well researched and I think striking a good tone with the story. The story goes out of its way to humanize all of the parties involved on the trail. The story is engaging and is a good way to get kids interested in history.
I didn't particularly care for the framing device of it (a man at the gallows telling the story to the hangman and captain,) perhaps it all makes sense in the earlier series. ㄟ( ▔, ▔ )ㄏ

I think it would be a good read for kids curious about the darker side of American History.

deemazztan's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Was really engaged by this book. Loved the writing style. Packed with info. Will look for the other books in this series.

kelleemoye's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Teaching Guide Information: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=3070

Well, that explains it.
I've always know what the Donner Party was infamous for, but that was it. Now I know it all...

elsanore's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark informative tense medium-paced

3.0

hywar's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

A lot of my students will likely enjoying having this one added to the library because they love reading about disasters and horrifying historical events right now. This lays out the tragedy that was the Donner Party in simple and easy terms, and although it obviously mentions graphic content there is nothing really graphic shown on the pages. The biggest struggle I had with it is that there are simply so many people involved in the Donner Party that it became a struggle to keep track of who was who.

maryehavens's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

A fun and easy way to get a history lesson.
I figure most people are interested in this very sad and gruesome part of American history. I know I am but I have never read any books about it. I’m intrigued by the bibliography and perhaps I will read more of a historical account in the future. For now, a graphic novel will suffice.
I have no doubt that the story written is accurate, especially with the bibliographic information at the end. Which makes the story even more difficult to contemplate. Definitely a story of human nature at it’s worst (there were more murders than I ever expected....and more cannibalizing of children than I remember hearing).
Ugh.....Rest in peace all members of the Donner party.

nlgauvreau's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

In the context of what this is (a graphic novel for CHILDREN), this book is great.
I read is as a bonus borrow on Hoopla through my library, which was great because it meant I could magnify and too small bits and make them easier to read/see; I could see this being a problem unless you have a magnifying glass handy for the print version (there were drawbacks to the Hoopla version too).
Magnifying ability aside, it's a bit wacky with kid-level humour, well researched but not overly detailed, gives you a list of sources if you want to read more/just know where the author got their information, and even has a little fact check section to address things that seem like they must be wrong but actually have evidence to show they aren't.
If you're looking for an in depth book on the Donner Party for adults, this certainly isn't 5 stars, but again, I'm rating it for what it is and is intended to be.

bookgirl4ever's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Traitor to the British Crown Nathan Hale is about to be hanged, but his captors know Hale is an excellent storyteller. Hale has traveled through time to learn about major events in United States history. In this Hazardous Tale, Hale tells the story of the tragic Donner Party, giving background on the party's members, portraying the events leading to the party's being stranded in the mountains during winter, and what they do to survive. Entertaining, yet sad. This series is great for reluctant readers/learners who need a little extra to get them excited about history. The author (also named Nathan Hale) offers a bibliography, a Q & A about what really happened and his portrayal of the characters, and charts throughout to give more detailed information.

Upper elementary/Middle school

bear_dog's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I’m trying to read more YA graphic novels to talk to my niece about. This reminded me of the “Dear America” (anyone?!) book series of like 1998-2003. I like this book because the Donnor party has so many characters; I felt I could keep them straight this way.

chelse34's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

I've always been fascinated with the Donner party. I grew up around a lot of the famous landmarks associated with them. When I saw this graphic novel at the library, it piqued my interest enough that I checked it out. I was not disappointed!

Despite the tragic events, this book has a lot of humor which made me laugh. It is a juvenile nonfiction book, so it's simple and easy to read. I learned a lot, and there were a lot of little facts that I didn't know about.

There's quite a few in this series. It seems like a fun one.