13-year-old Young Mac (Donald MacDermott) travels to Fort Vancouver at his late father's request for an education. When he arrives he learns that there is no school out this far on the frontier, and although he balks at the idea of staying (when what he really wants to do is join the fur traders with whom he travelled there), he remains for a year in which he does in fact receive an education on the ways of the land. He also does a fair amount of growing up at the fort and makes some important life decisions.
Newbery books that focus on the frontier - and there are a fair few from the early years - are usually not my cuppa, but this one was enjoyable. Good characters and a decent story. ( )