The Gold Rush Kid

October 1, 2008
Gr 4-7-After their mother dies, 12-year-old Billy and his stubborn 16-year-old sister, Edna Rose, decide to leave their home in Skagway, AK, and find their father, who's gone in search of gold in the Yukon Territory. Edna becomes Ed, a mean-tempered boy, and the grieving children set off ill-prepared on a journey that many do not survive. What ensues is an unrealistic adventure story of two young people surviving against overwhelming odds. Luck befalls them time and again as they are befriended by a young man named who happens to have extra supplies, make it across the Canadian border, and are reunited with their father. When the family strikes it rich along Bonanza Creek, Billy becomes increasingly discontent as he is continually left out of important family decisions because of his age. He runs away to find his sled dog, who was sold to sustain the family, and makes his way back home, where he tries to break into the newspaper business. Billy's relationships with his sister and father, including the family's eventual reunion, often seem contrived. Several of the characters are based on historical figures, such as Soapy Smith, who orchestrated numerous scams in Skagway. Despite these inclusions, the story remains clichéd and doesn't quite capture the excitement or the harsh realities of the real Klondike gold rush."Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library"

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