• Age: 6 to 12
• Grade: 1 to 7

In the first book in this series, Albert wastes no time introducing himself and his two young friends, Jade and Dorian, who are about to discover that they will have to move away, and learn to deal with changes. Tag along with Albert as our prehistoric tour guide, learn some cool facts about Alberta, find some cool places to stop along the Yellowhead Highway, and test your skills with our very first Dino Trivia!

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"Along the Way is a series of educational books for children. They will read short stories about children like themselves who solve ordinary problems. As an enhancement to the stories, they will also go on imaginary road trips and learn about different cultures; they will learn about geography, science, history, and even horticulture.

Book 1 is a great book for young readers as well as pre-teens and deals with real issues that children have. It is also fun as well as educational. Teresa has done a great job in writing this book!

The reader learns a little about Alberta, a province in Canada. There are facts about prairies, the Rocky Mountains, the badlands, fossil hunters, as well as some other interesting information. Albert then takes the reader on an imaginary road trip on the Yellowhead Highway in Alberta. This section is chock full of many interesting facts about Alberta Province. For instance, we learn about the town of Jasper and Jasper National Park, which is located in the Rocky Mountains and is over 10,800 square kilometers. Next there is the town of Hinton with its famous Beaver Boardwalk and the Ogre Canon with its cliffs, waterfalls and sinkholes. There is Stony Plain with its 30 murals on the outside walls of the buildings. Another town is Spruce Grove, which was settled by French and Scottish in 1891. Then there is Edmonton, the capital of Alberta with its many festivals. Fort Edmonton Park is an historic town that is fun to visit and experience the “olden days”. The Telus World of Science gives us the chance to learn about science and inventions.

An added bonus is a Dino Trivia section at the end of the book. This is a game to learn about dinosaurs. The readers can find out if their answers are correct in the next book of the series.

This is the first of five books in the Along The Way series. There may be more to come. These are definitely a wonderful educational addition to any child’s reading material. I can see a definite place for these books in elementary and middle school libraries." Laura, Goodreads

"Along the Way - Welcome to Alberta is the first book in a series by Teresa Schapansky. This book is written for early readers, although this particular title would be more readily enjoyed by those who are reading at the higher end of the Early Reader spectrum and getting into chapter books. There is a significant amount of new vocabulary and a fair amount of text on each page, which would be better suited for a more confident reader for a solo read. However, younger children would be likely to enjoy this book if it were read to them.

This book surprised me, as it appeared to be two books wrapped up into one. It includes both a fiction and a non-fiction component, and both pertain to the same part of Canada - Alberta. There is a significant benefit to the mixing of these two genres: it gives readers a real context to the fictionalized events of the book itself. As others have stated, this book, although part of a series, does work well as a stand-alone book.

Another interesting component of this book is the cultural references and vocabulary that to me, as an American, are somewhat unfamiliar. For example, the vocabulary word "acreage" is one that is not often used on the US side. This makes this particular series not only good to learn about the geography of Canada, but also to learn about its culture, as well.

Overall, I would strongly recommend this book to early readers who are learning about geography and have a strong interest in non-fiction writing." Mary, Goodreads

"This colorful children's book is about when a family has to relocate for work. This is the first book of a series but the book read like a stand alone. What I as a parent really appreciated was the tender care the parents explain to the children why they have to move and that they will have new friends. Lots of helpful information about their feelings and the move itself. Like how they make it a family event as it does involve the whole family.

So many facts about Alberta, Canada and the most fun places-outdoor state and national parks. The way it's presented in the book made it feel fun to learn, not like being in a class room. More from the author is highlighted at the end of the book." Julie, Goodreads

"As a former elementary school teacher, I must say that I am very impressed with this well-written educational children's book. Author Teresa Schapansky sets the pace for a pleasant and fact-based journey for school aged children.

In "Along the Way - Book One - Welcome to Alberta!" children are introduced to Albert, a fun loving, adventurous Albertosaurus (aka Albert) who is about to take his reading audience on a thrill of an educational tour. He is happy to introduce his friends Jade and Ben. Their story unfolds as their mom and dad explain to them that they could possibly be moving because their dad is looking for a new job. After their initial trepidation, Jade and Ben embrace the idea of this new experience with a more open mind and look forward to making new friends while still keeping in touch with their old ones.

A month later, when they actually do move, Albert kicks in again to explain the background, many points of interest, and the surrounding geography in and around their new home town in Alberta. The "enhanced text" really adds to this educational experience. The bold word further explains or gives a more in depth description of Albert's effort to educate his young readers on such concepts as the seven continents, Canada...its provinces and territories, as well as explaining about plant and animal fossils just to name a few. With some history of the French Voyageurs and the sights to see along the Yellowhead Highway, Author Teresa Schapansky does a fine job of touching base on several other topics. This book offers many further learning opportunities. The illustrations are great and add to the reading pleasure and better understanding of the varied teaching goals. I really enjoyed this children's book and look forward to sharing it with my grandchildren!" Inspirational Author & Book Reviewer ~ Dolores Ayotte