HarrietMWelsch

The OP gets it, no worries.

Thanks for all the excellent suggestions so far. (Some of these we already knew about, but I didn't want to limit ideas, since other folks might benefit from the thread, too.)

Here's a particular request: Any Oregon trail related fiction for the 8-year-old that isn't too gory, or too young, or too girl-centric? The best books I've found so far are all narrated by girls. Not that there's anything wrong with that but it isn't going to grab his attention.

missypie

Just sayin' hello, HarrietMWelsch. Your screen name came up in another context yesterday, remembering a year ago.

Doh

For an Oregon Trail book you might check out Dear Levi, but it's generally recommended for kids a year or two older. You might also look at Mr. Tucket for a general frontier times book.

voyager61

No one has mentioned Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey...definitely one of the great books set in the Northwest. I second Ivan Doig for Montana.

pisceantraveler

The Quimby and Huggins clans are perfect for an 8 year old! Loved them when I was that age and now DD and DS do.

kureiff

I'll third the Ivan Doig suggestion for MT.

Also, Norman MacLean's book, "A River Runs Through It," mostly takes place in Missoula.

Jenny Siler is another local Missoula writer who has written a couple murder mystery novels.

If you're passing through Missoula or anywhere in western MT, I highly recommend tuning into Mt Public Radio at 4 pm to listen to the Pea Green Boat. It's a locally produced radio show geared towards children, but I tune in most days.

Vttraveler

Not fiction but a good memoir: The Curve of Time by M. Wylie Blanchet

islebethere

I've read quite a few books set in those areas, but I can never remember book titles. Drat.

Here are few links to sites that list books set in Oregon, Washington State, and B.C. Hope you find a few that appeal.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._set_in_Oregon

http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageI...=1146436993933

http://www.librarything.com/topic/71242

wheatgrower

The Captain's Dog by Roland Smith is a great book for your son. It's something you may want to read together because it's for ages 10 and up plus I think you'll enjoy it too. It's the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition told from the point of view of Captain Lewis' dog. It's a favorite of mine. I've read it aloud to my students and they've loved it too.

For the Native American point of view I would suggest a Sherman Alexie book. Indian Killer gives a very different view of Seattle. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven is probably his best known book.

There are many fine Seattle mystery authors. Here's a list of some mysteries set here:

http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageI...=1157064974812

Pegontheroad

I second the Earl Emerson books with Mac Fontana, which are set in what seems to me a thinly disguised Snoqualmie Falls.

I also like G.M.Ford a lot. My favorite of his titles is "Who in the Hell is Wanda Fuca?" Ford's protagonist is a private detective (as I recall) who has help from a group of winos similar to Sherlock Holmes's "Baker Street Irregulars." At one point he refers to these guys as "Caesar's Lesions," a handle that I like a lot. The stories take place in Seattle and the surrounding area.