Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Donner Dinner Party (Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #3)

Summary:

 The Donner Party expedition is one of the most notorious stories in all of American history. It’s also a fascinating snapshot of the westward expansion of the United States, and the families and individuals who sacrificed so much to build new lives in a largely unknown landscape. From the preparation for the journey to each disastrous leg of the trip, this book shows the specific bad decisions that led to the party’s predicament in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The graphic novel focuses on the struggles of the Reed family to tell the true story of the catastrophic journey.

This popular topic is a perfect addition to the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales brand, and a great showcase for Hale’s storytelling skills. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

I heard about this series from “Stuff you Missed in History Class” and absolutely loved the idea of using graphic novels to tell non-fiction stories.  Despite having been fascinated by the Donner Party as a kid, I learned a lot of new facts about the story and what happened up in the mountains.

The graphic novel format softens the blow in a sense, without glossing over the bad parts of the story.  I really loved the narrator’s commentary on the different aspects.  I think this would be a great book for anyone looking to learn more about history, parents who want their kids to learn something a little more educational or someone looking for something to read with kids. 

Warning: Contains repeated violence, starvation and cannibalism.

Rating: 5 stars!

Who should read it? Anyone looking for a fun and non-traditional way to learn about history.

Want to read the whole series?

• Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy (Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #1)

• Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: Big Bad Ironclad! (Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #2)

• Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: Treaties, Trenches, Mud and Blood (Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #4)

• Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor (Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #5)

• Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: Alamo All-Starts (Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #6)