You just tried out for the school play. And who wants the lead part more than anyone? YOU! Imagine setting off to sail crystal-clear rivers all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Going bird-watching. Sleeping beneath the stars. But be careful what you wish for. That might not be the way it was for a private on the Lewis and Clark expedition … The year is 1804 and you’re Private George Shannon, a 17-year-old from Kentucky. Your mission? To join Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and “find a route to the Pacific Ocean, following the rivers as closely as possible.” Much cooler than simply reading about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, right? The titles in the Way It Was series offer role-playing (in the form of a school play) as an entry point to history. A narrator, who appears on most spreads, speaks directly to the reader, telling him or her how to feel (“you’re not scared”) and providing commentary as each crisis—mosquitoes! frostbite!—presents itself. Sidebars on each page supply the hard facts, while cartoonlike images reflect the playful tone of the main narration. Your Life as a Private on the Lewis and Clark Expedition means facing the brutal winter at Fort Mandan and coming face-to-face with grizzly bears. While the cartoon illustrations can make the Native Americans look stereotypical at times, for the most part, they’re lively and engaging. A ton of fun and the closest kids can get (so far) to a time machine. Grades 3-5. --Ann Kelley The year is 1804 and you’re Private George Shannon, a 17-year-old from Kentucky. Your mission? To join Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and “find a route to the Pacific Ocean, following the rivers as closely as possible.” Much cooler than simply reading about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, right? The titles in the Way It Was series offer role-playing (in the form of a school play) as an entry point to history. A narrator, who appears on most spreads, speaks directly to the reader, telling him or her how to feel (“you’re not scared”) and providing commentary as each crisis―mosquitoes! frostbite!―presents itself. Sidebars on each page supply the hard facts, while cartoonlike images reflect the playful tone of the main narration. Your Life as a Private on the Lewis and Clark Expedition means facing the brutal winter at Fort Mandan and coming face-to-face with grizzly bears. While the cartoon illustrations can make the Native Americans look stereotypical at times, for the most part, they’re lively and engaging. A ton of fun and the closest kids can get (so far) to a time machine. Grades 3-5. --Ann Kelley --Ann Kelley A fascinating account that quickly draws the reader into the adventure. Kid-friendly with colorful illustrations, interesting information presented in short paragraphs and bubbles describing parts of the 8,000 mile journey that took 2 years and 4 months. Students doing in-depth reports will need more information but this will spark young readers' interest! --"SWON Library Consortium, Ohio" The fourth girl in a family of 8 children, Colleen Madden made it through childhood pretending to be a space princess with a wookie sidekick and drawing in her cardboard box art studio. Colleen spent some time acting and training at The Second City in Chicago, then went on to graduate from a small liberal arts school in Massachusetts, with a contract major in illustration and English literature. She is currently residing in the Philadelphia area, with her writer-husband, and their 2 sons. She has illustrated for many different kinds of clients and is the recipient of an International Greeting Card Louie Award. When not illustrating, Colleen can be found long distance running, making her boys giggle, and eating lots and lots of sushi.