Like many others from Oklahoma in the 1930's a family must pack up and leave their home to escape from the Dust Bowl. They travel down the now historical Route 66 to start a new life in California. This historical fiction informed me of a part of the past that I new nothing about. Unfortunately, I had trouble staying interested while reading and I couldn't seem to keep connected to the characters. The illustrations were beautiful however, this book was not for me. ( )

"Don't Forget Winona" tells the tale of a family traveling from Oklahoma to California in the late 1930s. The story is told through the eyes of Sarah, the older sister. She takes care of Winona during the long trip across the country on Route 66. Winona tends to get into trouble and relies on Sarah to protect her. After many bumps in the road, the family makes it to sunny California. I liked reading this book because I did not know much about the famous Dust Bowl. I learned that many families packed up their lives in search of a new home. ( )

A little girl tells the story of when she and her family must flee the dust bowl for California in search of a better life. The story is set in the late 1930s and the road the family travels is Route 66, which is now a historic highway.The author's language is very simple and the illustrations are beautiful and somewhat realistic. I think this would make a great read for young children ages 5-8. ( )

This story follows a 1930’s family as they leave the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma and travel to green land in California. Winona gets left behind at a stop along the way, but soon another truck driver catches up to her family and returns her to her own pickup truck home to travel the rest of the journey. ( )

Summary: A family moves from Oklahoma to California in hopes to escape the Dust Bowl of the 1930's. It is an extremely long trip and along the way they lose track of their youngest daughter Winona, but she is quickly reunited with her family. The story also focuses on the relationship between Winona and her older sister who does her best to care for her in the midst of this transition period.
Critiques:
Genre: This is a good example of historical fiction because it shows what life might have been like for a family during the time of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl. The characters are realistic and the situations and events they experienced were true to real life and to history.
Setting: This story is set in the 1930's and originally takes place in Oklahoma but then the location transitions as the family moves to California. The time period and location are relevant to the story and genre because it helps to give the readers a better idea of what life was like back in history and it shows the different places that people could have stopped along the way to their destination. The original location and the ending location ring true to what many families experienced during this time period.
Media: Pen, ink, and watercolor