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HARD GOLD

Name: HARD GOLD
Author: Avi
ISBN: 978-1-4231-0519-0

THE COLORADO GOLD RUSH OF 1859

by Avi ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 30, 2008

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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. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2008

ISBN: 978-1-4231-0519-0

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Hyperion

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2008

Categories:

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THE SEVENTH MOST IMPORTANT THING

by Shelley Pearsall ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 8, 2015

Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

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Traumatized by his father’s recent death, a boy throws a brick at an old man who collects junk in his neighborhood and winds up on probation working for him.

Pearsall bases the book on a famed real work of folk art, the Throne of the Third Heaven, by James Hampton, a janitor who built his work in a garage in Washington, D.C., from bits of light bulbs, foil, mirrors, wood, bottles, coffee cans, and cardboard—the titular seven most important things. In late 1963, 13-year-old Arthur finds himself looking for junk for Mr. Hampton, who needs help with his artistic masterpiece, begun during World War II. The book focuses on redemption rather than art, as Hampton forgives the fictional Arthur for his crime, getting the boy to participate in his work at first reluctantly, later with love. Arthur struggles with his anger over his father’s death and his mother’s new boyfriend. Readers watch as Arthur transfers much of his love for his father to Mr. Hampton and accepts responsibility for saving the art when it becomes endangered. Written in a homespun style that reflects the simple components of the artwork, the story guides readers along with Arthur to an understanding of the most important things in life.

Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates. (Historical fiction. 10-14)