Journey to Goliad
The fourth in an ongoing series for YA/middle readers, Journey to Goliad once again transports the trio of Jackie, Hannah and Nick back into Texas history via their history teacher’s “mysterious trunk” aka time machine. With plenty of junior-high-school level banter, whining, mischief and pluck, the three heroes acquit themselves well in the midst of battle between the Texians and the soldados of Santa Anna in 1836 during the Texas Revolution. Central to the theme is the notion that the trunk won’t let them return to the present until they’ve accomplished what “it” wants them to do—plus, they have to track it down each time before they can attempt the magic trip home!
Award-winning author and history teacher Melodie Cuate is persnickety about her facts, and gives readers a charming and fast-moving adventure tale while relaying important historical information for present-day Texans (and others). The author conducts teacher workshops with curriculum developed specifically for the Mr. Barrington’s Mysterious Trunk Series, and each book includes translations of Spanish and citations for excerpts from original historic documents (letters, books, etc.). I wish we had books like these when I was studying history in elementary school!
