The Long Way Westward (I Can Read Level 3)

America, at last! This classic early reader tells an exciting story and is also a good launching pad for classroom and home discussions.

The Long Way Westward relates the experiences of two young brothers and their family, immigrants from Sweden, from their arrival in New York through the journey to their new home in Minnesota.

This lively sequel to The Long Way to a New Land follows the fortunes of Carl Erik’s family from New York City to the farmlands of Minnesota. "Historically accurate; will attract competent primary-grade readers and will be equally suitable for less able readers in intermediate grades." (School Library Journal)

As a fan of this book and its companion, The Long Way to a New Land, put it: "The books describe the difficulty and dangers of the journey in a way that is non-complaining and full of optimism for a new life in America. Teachers, these books are wonderful for integrating with other subjects and topics, such as immigration, westward expansion, steamships, trains, geography, and American life in the 1860s."

Author-artist Joan Sandin's grandfather was born in Sweden and immigrated to Wisconsin with his parents in 1882, when he was only two. Joan herself spent time in Sweden and did extensive research to create her well-loved classic books about the immigrant experience.

What did it take for a family to build a new life in a new land?

• Children's Historical Fiction: Travel with brothers Carl Erik and Jonas by train and steamboat as they journey from New York to their new home in Minnesota in the 1860s.
• Immigration Story for Kids: Experience the hopes and challenges of a Swedish immigrant family leaving everything behind for the promise of America.
• Westward Expansion: A perfect introduction for young readers to a key period in American history, ideal for classroom and homeschool discussions.
• Early Reader Classic: With simple language and engaging illustrations, this beloved sequel to The Long Way to a New Land helps build reading confidence.

Joan Sandin is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including the I Can Read books Small Wolf, written by Nathaniel Benchley, Snowshoe Thompson, written by Nancy Smiler Levinson, and her own The Long Way Westward and The Long Way to a New Land. Ms. Sandin lives in Tucson, Arizona.