GOLD RUSH!

A fascinating guide for children about how to strike it rich by prospecting for gold in their own backyards—and not just in California backyards. While recounting the history of gold-mining, Klein encourages readers to look for gold. He conveys his enthusiasm for gold- seeking by describing tools used by prospectors and providing detailed instructions on how to find and pan for gold: “Experts believe that only 10% of the gold in California has been discovered. That means there is still plenty of gold for you to find!” A question-and-answer presentation lays the information out clearly: What is gold? (a mineral); how is gold measured? (by karats); how often does the value of gold change? (daily). Klein explains how the Cro-Magnons, Egyptians, and Romans mined gold long before the gold rushes in the US. While the writing can be hackneyed, the coverage compensates, with sections on women in the camps, celebrities of the gold rush, Native American, Mexican, Hawaiian, Chilean, African-American, and Jewish miners (including the most famous of the ex-miners, Levi Strauss), and more. After reading about how to work a sluice, where to find gold, even how to talk like a miner, readers will be more than ready to hit pay dirt. (b&w illustrations and photos, graphs, charts, notes, maps) (Nonfiction. 8-12)