The Boy Who Saved Cleveland by James Cross Giblin

It's hard to imagine Cleveland, Ohio as a small settlement of log cabins, but in 1798, that's how it was. Seth Doan is 10 years old and adjusting to the hard life of the wilderness after moving with his family from Connecticut. To survive, the family members farm, hunt, scavange, and depend on corn that was bought to tide them over until their own crops come in. When Seth's sister and father come down with a mysterious ailment (malaria), it is up to Seth to make the 2 mile walk to the mile to grind the corn daily so that his family doesn't starve. A realistic picture of the hardships of pioneer life. The Boy Who Saved Cleveland by James Cross Giblin. Henry Holt and Company, 2006