Apples to Oregon

By Deborah Hopkinson

A pioneer family braves the wilds to bring their beloved fruit trees to Oregon.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 1,007 ratings

40 pages

$18.80Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon.

Bookroo's summary

Papa uproots his family and cherished fruit trees for a perilous journey from Iowa to Oregon. Facing rivers wider than Texas, plum-sized hailstones, and relentless droughts, they struggle to keep their precious cargo alive. But young Delicious, the apple of her father's eye, is determined to see their orchard thrive in the new land. Will their dreams bear fruit, or will the harsh trail prove too much? This hilarious tall tale, inspired by a real pioneer, promises adventure and resilience in the face of nature's challenges.

From the publisher

Apples, ho! When Papa decides to pull up roots and move from Iowa to Oregon, he can’t bear to leave his precious apple trees behind. Or his peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, and pears. Oh, and he takes his family along too. But the trail is cruel – first there’s a river to cross that’s wider than Texas…and then there are hailstones as big as plums…and there’s even a drought, sure to crisp the cherries. Those poor pippins! Luckily Delicious (the nonedible apple of Daddy’s eye) is strong – as young ‘uns raised on apples “are” – and won’t let anything stop her father’s darling saps from tasting the sweet Oregon soil. Here’s a hilarious tall tale – from the team that brought you “Fannie in the Kitchen” – that’s loosely based on the life of a real fruiting pioneer. Apple Facts More than 7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world. About 2,500 varieties grow in the United States. The apple variety Delicious is the most widely grown in the United States. Apples are part of the rose family. The science of fruit growing is called pomology. Fresh apples float. That’s because 25 percent of their volume is air. Cut an apple in half, across the core, and you’ll see a star shape. It takes apple trees four to five years to produce their first fruit. It takes about thirty-six apples to make one gallon of apple cider.