Jason's Gold

November 1, 1999
Gr 5-8-A coming-of-age novel set during the Alaska Gold Rush of the 1890s. Jason Hawthorn, 15, heads north in search of riches and his older brothers who left Seattle as soon as news of the strike hit the newspapers. Along the way, he meets a feisty girl, a young Jack London, and many other colorful characters. The novel is filled with fascinating details about the period, from the excitement and high spirits of the first Klondikers to the extreme hardships and great disappointments suffered by so many. Jason never strikes it rich himself, but he eventually finds his brothers and they settle there. His perils include an icy canoe trip, a moose attack, and a winter spent in a one-room cabin with a one-legged boy. Jason's character sometimes takes a backseat to the Yukon setting, especially in the first part of the book. At times, he acts more as an observer than a protagonist; the setting and other characters emerge vividly through his eyes, but readers don't get to know him all that well. He rescues and adopts a dog as his companion, but the animal seems little more than a story prop. As the tale progresses, though, Jason's personality emerges more, especially as he tries to help the amputee adapt to his condition. Many of the incidents Jason observes are based on actual events and other real-life figures make appearances. The successful presentation of a fascinating era, coupled with plenty of action, makes this a good historical fiction choice, despite the lack of a truly memorable hero.-Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend, OR

Copyright 1999 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 1999
Gr. 5^-9. The 1897 Klondike gold rush is the vivid backdrop to this harshly realistic novel. When 15-year-old Jason Hawthorn sets off from Seattle to the newly discovered gold fields, he has no idea of the difficulties of terrain, weather, and chronically short rations that lie ahead. En route he is befriended by a number of minor characters, including a young Jack London and a beautiful girl named Jamie. More important, Jason rescues a husky from brutal death at the hands of a deranged master. The dog, which Jason names King, becomes essential to the boy's survival. Rich in period detail, the novel is clearly the product of prodigious research. This strength becomes a weakness, however, when the research shows up as extended passages of exposition that slow the narrative pace and occasionally make both characters and dramatic incidents seem contrived. For most readers, these problems will be redeemed by Jason's heroic efforts to survive when winter overtakes him 250 miles short of his destination. Here exposition turns into epic as Hobbs reveals the immense challenges and hardships of surviving in the vast emptiness of the Yukon winter. In an appended note Hobbs discusses his sources and research. ((Reviewed August 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)