Retta Barre's Oregon Trail Books

Retta Barre's not the first 12-year-old girl to travel the Oregon Trail. And she won't be the last. But for something that's supposed to be the grandest adventure of her life, the long, slow days sure are dull. Thick dust, irritating bugs, and picking up buffalo chips are not the stuff of the action-packed penny novels she loves to read. When things change in Retta's life, they change fast. A simple trip into the prairie brings both adventure and big time trouble. Soon Retta is the talk of the wagon train and her friends don't want to miss her next caper. To be sure, she won't let them down.

Retta Barre has never met a hero, except for the ones she reads around in her books. She does know they're strong and courageous. And handsome and pretty. Everything she's not. Her world doesn't expect much from her anyway. She's just a plain-looking 12-year-old who's more stubborn than brave. She owes what little strength she has to her dull daily chores on the Oregon trail. And yet, when her friends are missing, Retta doesn't think twice. She heads out to help them. She has no idea the danger that's about to come her way. She'll have to face her fears and act like the heroes she reads about in her novels.

Retta Barre has faced a dizzying prairie storm, a stubborn buffalo, and a murderous Indian twice. But that's nothing compared to what happens when her family is left alone in the middle of the prairie. One life-threatening danger after another and Retta's in the middle of them all. Some might think she's just a plain looking 12-year-old from Ohio. With her buckskin dress, moccasins, and sun-tanned face, others see an Indian girl. And some of her friends consider her a heroine. But after Retta encounters horse thieves, prairie pirates, and an army troop, she'll definitely be the undisputed Princess of the Prairie.