On the
Texas Trail
VISIT
BOOTH
#505
with Peter Lourie
In his latest offering, reknowed
author Peter Lourie traces the
trail of “the first Texan”—Álvar
Núñez Cabeza de Vaca.
Lourie’s love of mystery
and discovery compels him
toward his next adventure.
His books come directly from
his travel journals. His most recent
book chronicles his journey into the history,
geography, people, and culture of Texas.
Author-adventurer Peter Lourie
Cabeza de Vaca was among “ . . . the first Europeans to detail much of the
area’s flora and fauna—and also among the first to describe the New World’s
people not as savages but as ‘human beings like himself, with a capacity for
love and hate, good and evil.’ The author explains how he identified Cabeza
de Vaca’s probable route with help from scholars and local guides, and
illustrates his travelogue with a mix of period and later images. His narrative
voice sets this apart from more detailed but less personal accounts of the
explorer’s adventures. (maps, brief quotations, timeline, resource lists, index)
(Nonfiction. 10–12)” Kirkus Reviews
About the author
Peter Lourie writes adventure-travel books about many places, rivers, and ancient cultures. He finds traipsing through
jungles or following rivers to be crucial to his research. “Readers should feel, hear, and smell a place,” Lourie says.
His journeys have taken him to remote parts of the world, including the jungles of Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, Panama,
Peru, and Africa.
Lourie holds a BA in classics from New York University, an MA in English literature from the University of Maine,
and an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University. He has taught writing at Columbia College, the University
of Vermont, and Middlebury College. He now makes his living traveling, writing and photographing, and visiting
schools to share his adventures with students and teachers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.boydsmillspress.com.
Lourie’s On the Trail of Cabeza de Vaca
supports TEKS Standards!
Social Studies, 4th Grade
113.6 Social Studies (1A), identify Native-American groups in Texas and
the Western Hemisphere before European exploration and
describe the regions in which they lived.
113.6 Social Studies (1B), compare the ways of life of Native-American
groups in Texas and the Western Hemisphere before
European exploration.
113.6 Social Studies (2B), identify the accomplishments of significant
explorers such as Cabeza de Vaca; Christopher Columbus;
Francisco Coronado; and René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de
La Salle and explain their impact on the settlement of
Texas.
113.6 Social Studies (7B), describe a variety of regions in Texas and the
Western Hemisphere such as landform, climate, and
vegetation regions that result from physical characteristics.
113.6 Social Studies (8A), identify clusters of settlement in Texas and
explain their distribution.
113.6 Social Studies (8B), explain patterns of settlement at different time
periods in Texas.
113.6 Social Studies (10A), explain the economic patterns of various
early Native-American groups in Texas and the Western
Hemisphere.
113.6 Social Studies (22A), differentiate between, locate, and use
primary and secondary sources such as computer
software; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and visual
material; and artifacts to acquire information about the
United States and Texas.
Social Studies, 7th Grade
113.23 Social Studies (1A), identify the major eras in Texas history.
113.23 Social Studies (2A), compare the cultures of Native Americans in
Texas prior to European colonization.
113.23 Social Studies (2B), identify important individuals related to
European exploration of Texas.
113.23 Social Studies (9C), analyze the effects of physical and human
factors such as climate, weather, and landforms on major
events in Texas.
113.23 Social Studies (10A), identify ways in which Texans have
adapted to and modified the environment.
113.23 Social Studies (21A), differentiate between, locate, and use
primary and secondary sources to acquire information
about Texas.
113.23 Social Studies (21C), organize and interpret information from
reports and maps.
113.23 Social Studies (22C), transfer information from one medium to
another.
113.23 Social Studies (22D), create written, oral, and visual
presentations of social studies information.
Peter Lourie explores the Rio Grande
to discover what makes the “Great
River” great. He follows it from its
headwaters in Colorado’s snowcapped
Rockies to the Gulf of Mexico’s subtropical shores.
MORE SOCIAL STUDIES TITLES
Lourie journeys into “lost worlds” to create photo
essays that reveal the treasures of ancient peoples.
The “On the Trail” series traces historic journeys that
uncovered this continent’s past and changed its future.
Lourie’s river series follows great rivers from source to
mouth, exploring history, archaeology, culture, and
political and environmental concerns along the way.
NCSS-CBC NOTABLE
SOCIAL STUDIES TRADE
BOOKS FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE, 2000
TEXAS BLUEBONNET
AWARD MASTER LIST,
2000–2001
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.boydsmillspress.com.