Product Description

The year is 1898. Over the last decade, North America has been ground down by a depression. Wages are low, jobs are scarce and people are getting desperate. Although Aunt Rachel isn't happy about 13-year-old Tim and his older brother, Roy, heading off to the Klondike Gold Rush, the possibility of striking it rich is hard to resist. Tim and Roy begin their trek to the Yukon filled with excitement. Little do they suspect the harsh realities they'll have to face: blinding snowstorms, raging rapids, backbreaking work and bitter disappointment. In this unique book, each chapter is followed with factual information, illustrations and photographs of the people and places of the time. In addition, easy-to-do activities help bring the historical period to life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #460970 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-A melange built around the experiences of 13-year-old Tim, who sets off to seek his fortune with his older brother and his dog. This very average piece of historical fiction is sometimes told in narrative and sometimes related in entries from Tim's diary. As the adventure moves along, the book hits on many coming-of-age issues, and has a subtheme of gambling, which was rife in the Klondike. Curtly interjected into the story are historical and technical points of interest, short biographical sketches of some real-life characters (dance-hall girls, Mounted Police, etc.), and activities such as Klondike solitaire. These pieces of information are valuable and relevant, but because they are designed in an unclear format, they are intrusive if readers attempt to follow the story line, and all are without footnotes. About half a dozen archival photos do what the copious and romantically dull drawings do not: give a sense of how harsh, dirty, exciting, and difficult gold mining was at that time and place. The weakest parts of the book are only skin deep, and, with patience, readers may find it somewhat useful as an additional resource.
Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-7. Through a comfortable combination of fiction and nonfiction, this book presents the life of a young miner during the Klondike gold rush between 1897 and 1899. Thirteen-year-old Tim accompanies his older brother on a difficult trek from Seattle to the Yukon, where they set up as miners. After enduring difficulties such as frostbite, hard labor, hard luck, and cabin fever, they make their fortunes and head for home. Told in the third person from Tim's point of view, the episodic story is involving as fiction and informative about the experiences of Klondike miners. Between sections of the story are pages discussing everything from the supplies needed for the trip to gambling in the town of Dawson to methods of mining and panning for gold. In addition to period photographs, excellent shaded pencil drawings appear throughout the book. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Well-researched and well-designed books like this remind us of exactly what gave rise to the persistent Klondike legends of today.

Through a comfortable combination of fiction and nonfiction, this book presents the life of a young miner during the Klondike gold rush between 1897 and 1899. Between sections of the story are pages discussing everything from the supplies needed for the trip to gambling in the town of Dawson to methods of mining and panning for gold. In addition to period photographs, excellent shaded pencil drawings appear throughout the book.

Customer Reviews

Gold Rush Fever
This is about two boys named Tim and Roy living with their aunt Ravhel. All of a sudden they discover that there is a gold rush going on in the Yukon. When they got there, they had to climb and climb until they reached the golden stairs. Then they had two choices, White Pass or the Chilkoot Pass. They took the Chilkoot Pass because it was longer but it was safer. Then they reached Lake Lindeman. They had to form a group and build a boat at to get to Lake Bennett. They reached Lake Bennett in one peice then they found the town Dawson. They tried searching for gold but had no luck. They got a claim. They struck it rich, they only had enough to get home and have a little left for their aunt Rachel to see. So they went home happy and content as can be. Read this book it will take you back to the time of the gold rushes.
Review by: Frances