Hard Gold: The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859: A Tale of the Old West

by Avi

Overview

Early Whitcomb's family needs a miracle. Their Iowa farm has been in the family for generations, but a long drought has withered their savings and left them in debt. Meanwhile, the great Chicago and Northwestern Railroad wants their land, and if the Whitcombs can't pay their loans, the local banker, Judge Fuslin, will foreclose and sell the farm as his own.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423140269
Publisher:	Disney Press
Publication date:	08/12/2010
Series:	I Witness Novels
Sold by:	DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE -EBKS
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	740L (what's this?)
File size:	6 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Avi's books are loved by kids and adults everywhere. He has written more than 50 books, several of which have garnered prestigious awards, including the Newbery Medal and two Newbery Honors. His titles with Hyperion include Crispin: The Cross of Lead, Crispin at the Edge of the World, and The Book Without Words. He lives with his family in Colorado.

Date of Birth:

December 23, 1937

Place of Birth:

New York, New York

Education:

University of Wisconsin; M.A. in Library Science from Columbia University, 1964

Website:

http://www.avi-writer.com

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 How It Began 1 Chapter 2 My Brothers 7 Chapter 3 Bad News and Good 10 Chapter 4 Hard Times, Strange Times 18 Chapter 5 A Whole Lot of Time 26 Chapter 6 I Find a Way 30 Chapter 7 I Leave Home 40 Chapter 8 Lizzy 45 Chapter 9 Westward, Ho! 52 Chapter 10 We Head West 59 Chapter 11 Mr. Mawr 69 Chapter 12 News About Jesse 76 Chapter 13 Farewell to Iowa 87 Chapter 14 Into Nebraska 102 Chapter 15 Stampede! 117 Chapter 16 Going On 129 Chapter 17 The Long Trail 137 Chapter 18 Cherry Creek! 151 Chapter 19 Denver House 160 Chapter 20 Going After Jesse 170 Chapter 21 Into the Mountains 179 Chapter 22 Gold Hill 192 Chapter 23 Jesse 199 Chapter 24 Escape! 211 Chapter 25 The Rest of My Life 214 Glossary 221 Author's Note 225 Acknowledgments 227 Bibliography 228 Illustration Credits 230

Editorial Reviews

Gr 4-7

Fourteen-year-old Early Whitcomb's family is trying desperately to hold onto their Iowa farm during hard times. The local banker is pressuring the Whitcombs to sell their land to the Chicago and North Western railway, promising to foreclose on their mortgage if they refuse. This prompts Early's Uncle Jesse, 19, to head west and find gold, disappearing under suspicion of bank robbery. After he writes that he has found gold but suspects that it will be stolen, Early sneaks away and signs on to a wagon train destined for Cherry Creek and Pike's Peak. A representative of the railroad is also traveling with the wagon trains, and the boy suspects that he wants to find Jesse and prevent him from helping his family save the farm. Early makes an unlikely ally in Lizzy Bunderly, the free-spirited daughter of his wagon-train employer, and the two friends face heartache, hardship, and loss while learning the value of endurance on this journey that takes them across the wild, unsettled territory. The novel deals with difficult times in the life of a young person, but emphasizes Early's optimism and hope for better days. The lessons he learns as a result of the choices he makes, as opposed to those made by his uncle, reveal the importance of making decisions wisely. The period reproductions add much to the understanding of an earlier way of life. The chapters are short and broken up into diary format so as to mimic travel journals of the early wagon train adventurers. A rewarding addition.-Debra Banna, Sharon Public Library, MA

School Library Journal

Centering on the more-or-less overlooked American gold rush in Colorado, this historical novel follows Early Wittcomb as he travels from Iowa to Pike's Peak in search of a favorite uncle who set off to find gold and save the family farm from bank foreclosure. Hoping to find his uncle, gold and adventure, Early signs on to help a feckless barber, his sickly wife and his rebellious daughter get to Colorado by Conestoga wagon. This plows some familiar ground in plot and characterization: hardships of the westward crossing, plucky teens who are wiser than their elders, the utter cluelessness of the "Fifty-Niners," as the emigrant miners were known, and the inevitable disappointment that followed most. What will make this interesting for readers who like action is the relentless foreshadowing of evil and heartbreak, the short chapters, the trademark Avi cliffhangers, sharp attention to interesting (but not overwhelming) historical detail and the many period illustrations and photographs. (glossary, author's note, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews

Alston Brown’s easy pace is well suited to descriptions of boundless opportunities and the wide-open prairie. Brown is the personification of innocence and naivete as he describes this book’s romantic visions of Colorado gold. The story is told by 14-year-old Early Whitcomb. Brown subtly differentiates between characters, allowing Early’s earnestness and Uncle Jesse’s charisma to distinguish them. After Jesse goes in search of enough gold to save the family farm, Early follows and faces romance, danger, and even death. As Early’s wagon train trudges west, the certainty of success fades, and tragedies abound. Despite everything, Early and his new friends maintain a positive outlook, which is further brightened by Brown’s sunny delivery. A.M.P. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2013 - AudioFile