The journal format of this book is a great way to engage the reader and to provide a lot of factual information in a much more interesting way. It gives a lot of facts about that time period and the struggles that people faced during the Great Depression during the Dust Bowl. There is lots of information on farming and living in Oklahoma during this time, as well as the journey that many people took out to California searching for better opportunities and the disappointment that they faced. Being told through the eyes of a child makes it easy for a fifth grader to relate to. Could be a Social Studies connection.

This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not. ( )

This book tells the story of CJ jackson, a boy growing up on a farm in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. CJ and his family are forced to leave Oklahoma and travel to California, where they experience much more difficult times than they imagined.
The Journal of CJ Jackson is told in diary form and provides a fictionalized first-person account of of a Dust Bowl migrant, which allows young readers to learn history in an enjoyable manner in which they can relate. While the story is enjoyable, it feels like a junior version of the Grapes of Wrath, which can be annoying to older readers. Still, the book tells an enjoyable story while also teaching the history of an important time in America.

This is a great book to include with other children's historical fiction about the era of the great depression. It also is a chance to talk about historical fiction in the format of a journal. The author does a nice job portraying the tough times of the depression. C.J. and his family's struggles are excellent portrayals of the time period and also provide many topics for discussion. The discrimination dust bowl migrants faced and the term "Okie." Children may think about what it would be like to miss a school year because they had to work in the fields to support their family. Another issue readers will want to explore is when C.J.'s father is arrested for assaulting a man who was insulting his children by shooing them from his storefront window and calling them okies.