I’ve been a fan of this series for years: the cartoonish illustrations, and the short blurbs of information make history accessible, and non-threatening, and the way the series emphasizes all the miserable, unpleasant aspects of history, putting the reader into the position of first person, is a draw that hooks a lot of otherwise resistant readers.  As much as I like the series in general, there have been some titles over the years that I thought failed to live up to their titles.  This one did a great job of showing just how difficult life was for pioneers heading West.  Plus, I love the sturdy bindings on these books.