The Donner Party were pioneers migrating to California from the Midwest. Due to a series of mishaps, they became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountains in the winter of 1846-47. Nearly half of the party succumbed to illness, starvation, and the extreme weather.
Read the recently published books for youth, then learn more at the websites:
THE SNOW FELL THREE GRAVES DEEP by Allan Wolf uses an engaging verse approach to share the infamous Donner Party story. Told through the eyes of the participants and using the voice of “Hunger” as a narrator, the author recounts this story of survival in the wilderness. The comprehensive back matter provides useful background information for readers unfamiliar with the story.
DONNER DINNER PARTY: A PIONEER TALE by Nathan Hale retells the disastrous events of the 1846 journey to California. This Bigger & Badder edition is a deluxe, oversized graphic novel approach that includes 16 new pages. The author skillfully balances humor with the macabre for the tween and teen audience.
ALL THE MISTAKES THAT DOOMED THE DONNER PARTY from Weird History is a fast-paced, short video tracing the key events in the Donner-Reed party disaster.
To watch the video, go to https://youtu.be/4g6ITFTtHZQ.
DESPERATE DREAMERS is a transcript of the documentary film shown at Donner State Park in California. The film tells the story of the Donner Company of 1846.
To read the transcript, go to https://bit.ly/3orHEY1.
THE DONNER PARTY is a PBS video series. The American Experience website provides access to background information, primary sources, a teacher’s guide and useful articles along with links to sources for viewing the series.
To learn more, go to https://to.pbs.org/2NAdCV5.
ARC courtesy of Amulet and Candlewick.
