content: Creating historical fiction is a fine art. Where history is known, it should be respected. The opportunity for the historical fiction author should be to fill in the blanks with supposition and to tie together events for the flow of the story. Or, if the work is really a fiction, loosely tied to a real event, that should be made PERFECTLY CLEAR to the reader. This book fails to accomplish either of these goals. There was no person by the name of Augustus Pelltier who accompanied the Corps of Discovery to the Pacific and back. Too many children will wind up with a strangely warped view of this American saga. The tale is so full of adventure and excitement that it easily stands on its own. If the author desired the viewpoint of a young person as the main character, she could have used George Shannon, Sacagawea or Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the youngest REAL members of the expedition. Reader beware!!!