In the spring of 1846, the Donner and Reed families joined a wagon train bound for California in the hope of finding a better life. But when the party took an untested shortcut, it set them down a tragic path. As they crossed the Sierra Nevada, heavy snow fell in the mountain pass. They were trapped. Supplies were already low, and now they faced a winter of starvation. Told through a gripping, full-colour graphic novel format, this Deadly Expeditions tale transports readers back in time to follow the Donner Party’s disastrous trek west and their struggle to survive, bringing history to life for even the most reluctant and struggling readers.

Take a journey back in time to see how the way we measure time has developed throughout history. Discover which days the Ancient Babylonians thought were unlucky, and why one sports team was once 12 days late for the Olympics! Project X Origins is a ground-breaking guided reading programme for the whole school. Action-packed stories, fascinating non-fiction and comprehensive guided reading support meet the needs of children at every stage of their reading development. Each book contains inside cover notes that highlight challenge words, prompt questions and a range of follow-up activities to support children in their reading.