"7-year-old Zeke is thrilled to be heading west with over eighty settlers on the famed Oregon Trail. But when their wagon train takes an ill-advised short cut, the pioneers find themselves trapped in a frozen mountain pass. As howling winter storms rage around the Donner Party, there's no way forward or back. Faced with starvation, Zeke must attempt to walk out of the wilderness on sheer willpower alone. Can he ever hope to make it to California? Can he ever hope to escape? Based on actual survivor accounts and hours of research, this inspirational story is exceptionally vivid, swift-paced, and stirring. The Westward Expansion is a tale of Indians and pioneers, mountains, deserts and places where the buffalo roamed, of covered wagons and horses and a new country taking shape. This is the 5th children's book in the I Escaped Series about brave kids who face real-world challenges and find ways to escape. Sure to appeal to fans of books like I Survived by New York Times Bestseller Lauren Tarshis, Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, American frontier stories for kids, and Bound For Oregon by Jean Van Leeuwen. Packed with a special section on facts about the Oregon Trail and much more. Includes survivor photos. An adrenaline-charged tale of bravery, fellowship and non-stop action about one of the most poignant tragedies in American history."-- From publisher's description