This series' first entry introduces a courageous time-traveling golden retriever.... While digging for a bone in his backyard, Ranger discovers a first-aid kit. Mysteriously imbued with time-travel properties, the kit sends Ranger back in time to Independence, Missouri—a starting point for the Oregon Trail—where Sam Abbott is searching for his little sister. ... Though Ranger grows to love the Abbotts, he’s constantly on the lookout and longing for Luke, his boy in the future. ... This well-paced story will keep the attention of even reluctant readers with its commitment to accurately chronicling the excitement and danger of the Oregon Trail. Whom will Ranger save next? (Adventure. 5-9)

A time-traveling golden retriever named Ranger stars in this magic-tinged first book in the Ranger in Time series. Trained as a search-and-rescue dog, Ranger is magically transported away from his young owner, Luke, to the year 1850.... It turns out that Ranger is just what a boy named Sam Abbott, his family, and the other families they are traveling with need to survive the treacherous 2,000-mile journey from Independence, Mo., to the Oregon Territory. ... McMorris’s richly rendered illustrations heighten the plot’s many moments of danger and drama.... An author’s note offers additional context and detail about the challenges pioneers faced and the real-life research that went into this story. Ages 7–10.