They're Off! : The Story of the Pony Express

First off, the illustrations are outstanding in this book. They really carry a lot of energy and emotion and depict the wildness and roughness of this period. There are some maps that show the US at this time and the Pony Express routes. I felt like the text got a little bogged down with a whole slew of names, going into excessive detail about things like the business aspects of the people who founded the Pony Express, how the route was determined. It does tie in numerous things going on in the country; the gold rush, the election of Abe Lincoln, the start of the civil war. I think younger readers (K-1) could be turned off by the text so it might be better for slightly older kids. Overall, I think it is worth it for the illustrations and I will just tell the story, editing some as I go.

The illustrations are lovely, but as a teacher I cannot recommend this book until the paragraph on Wild Bill Cody is revised. While Bill Cody did make the Pony Express famous with his wild west show, he never was a rider with the Pony Express.

I ordered this and two other books for my 9-year old grandson to read before we visited the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, Missouri. It gave him some background information on the Pony Express and its riders. And some of those riders weren’t too much older than him. He enjoyed the books very much. And I might add, a visit to the Pony Express Museum is well worth the time if you are in the St. Joseph area.

We have been reading and studying about westward expansion and frontier living all summer; this book is valuable in the context of connecting the continent. The book captures the history of the overland mail, as well as many of the legends and lore surrounding the Pony Express, too.My second grader is ga-ga over this book; the illustrations are terrific.If you enjoyed the early reader "Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express," then this is a natural follow-on for more advanced readers.Great for historical context and in-depth maps, diagrams, and drawings. This is a wonderful learning tool. Having read "Orphans Preferred" I can happily say that this is a much better book on the topic, even though it is geared toward a young readership.

Great product for a great price

I haven't given it to the kids yet, but I was curious to read through it myself first. It was fun to read, and I learned interesting facts about the Pony Express (they weren't in existence very long, for example). It's written in a friendly, easy-to-read way. My kids love all things horses and about the West, so I'm sure they will be fascinated by this.

I didn't realize it would be such a short book about the Pony Express. It was for our granddaughter for Christmas. Even though she's in 5th grade, she's reading at an 11th grade level. I just thought it would have a bit more substance to it.

Loved this quick-paced and information-packed book! So much to learn about the Pony Express and it's significance in the history of this great country. Another great read-aloud to younger children or entirely appropriate for your older children/adults =)