North with De Anza: A Historical Novel

By Dorothy W. Erskine

The city of San Francisco was founded in the eighteenth century by a party of thirty families travelling north from present-day Arizona to Alta California, led by don Juan Bautista de Anza. Based on diaries maintained by several of the families who travelled with de Anza, "North with de Anza" is a fictionalised account of the expedition for young readers. In this story, Pedro Peralta is a twelve-year-old boy for whom the arduous journey on horseback is the adventure of a lifetime. Each day brings him new chances to exhibit his bravery: worrisome appearances of Apaches, desert droughts, mountain snows, and the fording of the treacherous Colorado River. Prior to this writing, Dorothy Erskine followed de Anza's route by automobile and studied the scholarship of Borderlands historian Herbert Eugene Bolton. First published in 1958 and long out of print, "North with de Anza" will be welcomed by today's young readers eager for information on the early history of California. Ages 12 and up.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0826336310
• ISBN13: 9780826336316
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
• Length: 234 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.6" x 6.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grades 6 to 10