Rescue on the Oregon Trail (Ranger in Time Series #1)

by Kate Messner

Overview

Meet Ranger! He's a time-traveling golden retriever who has a nose for trouble . . . and always saves the day!

Ranger has been trained as a search-and-rescue dog, but can't officially pass the test because he's always getting distracted by squirrels during exercises. One day, he finds a mysterious first aid kit in the garden and is transported to the year 1850, where he meets a young boy named Sam Abbott. Sam's family is migrating west on the Oregon Trail, and soon after Ranger arrives he helps the boy save his little sister. Ranger thinks his job is done, but the Oregon Trail can be dangerous, and the Abbotts need Ranger's help more than they realize!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545639149
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	01/06/2015
Series:	Ranger in Time Series , #1
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	9,489
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Kate Messner is the author of THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z., winner of the E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Older Readers; CAPTURE THE FLAG, an SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner; HIDE AND SEEK; MANHUNT; and the Marty McGuire chapter book series. A former middle-school English teacher, Kate lives on Lake Champlain with her family and loves reading, walking in the woods, and traveling. Visit her online at www.katemessner.com.

Editorial Reviews

Time-traveling dogs are a bit over the top, but Messner’s book about the Oregon Trail and westward-bound pioneers sends an irresistible invitation for kids to join an 1850 wagon train. The boy featured cannot be called a hero, but he has a magical rescue dog to accomplish heroic acts. The story offers compelling adventure and introduces children to the bad side of olden times including issues to be understood as unpleasant possibilities. Young Sam regretfully leaves home for the unknown, leaving his pet behind. The children mainly suck it up and keep walking, except for escapes into strange caves and their rattlesnake security guards. A young girl’s parents die from an epidemic that almost claims Sam’s life as well. The most vivid description is of Sam’s father almost drowning after his horse panics in deep water. The worst situation of all (because it comes up every day) is that older sisters are unpleasant when inconvenienced. Small details link human traits of past to present, such as Sam’s clues to his mother’s rising anxiety. The author’s notes are informative and offer real diary entries from the time period. The time travel concept is not an organic part of the story and protagonist Sam calls his new sidekick “Dog” instead of “Ranger” as the title suggests. Messner might have dedicated those extra pages to the Native Americans who used canoes to help the pioneers, as portrayed in one of McMorris’ grisaille illustrations. While McMorris’ landscapes are expansive and realistic, the human faces look more cookie-cutter than portrait. Messner won an SCBWI Crystal Kite Award with her inventive title Capture the Flag. Time travel or not, this historical novel is also a dog book, with information on rescue dogs. Reviewer: M.H.B. Hughes; Ages 7 to 10.

Children's Literature - M.H.B. Hughes

11/17/2014
A time-traveling golden retriever named Ranger stars in this magic-tinged first book in the Ranger in Time series. Trained as a search-and-rescue dog, Ranger is magically transported away from his young owner, Luke, to the year 1850 after finding a first-aid kit buried in the garden. It turns out that Ranger is just what a boy named Sam Abbott, his family, and the other families they are traveling with need to survive the treacherous 2,000-mile journey from Independence, Mo., to the Oregon Territory. Ranger finds Sam’s lost three-year-old sister, Amelia, and alerts Sam to dangers ranging from rattlesnakes to stampedes. Perhaps most importantly, Ranger provides comfort to Sam, who couldn’t bring his own dog on the journey McMorris’s richly rendered illustrations heighten the plot’s many moments of danger and drama, and Messner (Manhunt) incorporates a wealth of historical details into her rousing adventure story. An author’s note offers additional context and detail about the challenges pioneers faced and the real-life research that went into this story. Ages 7–10. Author’s agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Associates. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

11/01/2014
Gr 3–5—Ranger is a golden retriever who trained as a search-and-rescue dog. Unfortunately, he never passes the final test due to those pesky squirrels he can't help chasing. One afternoon, while playing outside with his owner, Luke, he comes across a buried first-aid kit that transports him back to the year 1850. Finding himself in Independence, Missouri, Ranger meets the Abbott family, who is making the treacherous journey on the Oregon Trail. Confused by the strange sights and smells, the dog decides that this must be some sort of new tracking test. Convinced that if he passes he will be reunited with his beloved Luke, Ranger takes on the challenge with gusto. He quickly becomes an invaluable family member by babysitting the Abbotts's ever-wandering toddler, making fast friends with young Sam, and warning them of dangers along the trail. This excellent story contains historical details, full-age illustrations, and enough action to keep even reluctant readers engaged. A wonderful author's note at the end is full of quotes from authentic journals, factual information on search-and-rescue dogs, and suggestions for further reading. This is a stellar choice for readers just starting full-length chapter books and would be a hit with young history buffs and dog lovers as well.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI

School Library Journal

2014-11-04
This series' first entry introduces a courageous time-traveling golden retriever on the Oregon Trail.While digging for a bone in his backyard, Ranger discovers a first-aid kit. Mysteriously imbued with time-travel properties, the kit sends Ranger back in time to Independence, Missouri—a starting point for the Oregon Trail—where Sam Abbott is searching for his little sister. Though he loves chasing squirrels too much to pass his search-and-rescue training, Ranger, who can understand human speech, doesn't pay distractions any mind as he follows his training to find little Amelia. His heroics earn him a place with the Abbott family on their journey, and he proves himself both remarkable and useful through many crises (like a buffalo stampede, sickness and river rapids). Though Ranger grows to love the Abbotts, he's constantly on the lookout and longing for Luke, his boy in the future. In the end, the kit takes Ranger back home, though its nature remains an enigma. The third-person narration expertly balances Ranger's thoughts between the appropriately doglike (squirrels! bacon!) and the heroic (Ranger's drive to find and protect). This well-paced story will keep the attention of even reluctant readers with its commitment to accurately chronicling the excitement and danger of the Oregon Trail. Whom will Ranger save next? (Adventure. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews