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Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
Hoping to strike it rich, two brothers escape an abusive father and set out on a treacherous journey to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush.
 
Desperate to get away from their drunkard of a father, eleven-year-old Jasper and his older brother Melvin often talk of running away, of heading north to Alaska to chase riches beyond their wildest dreams. The Klondike Gold Rush is calling, and Melvin has finally decided the time to go is now—even if that means leaving Jasper behind. But Jasper has other plans, and follows his brother aboard a steamer as a stowaway.
Onboard the ship, Jasper overhears a rumor about One-Eyed Riley, an old coot who's long since gone, but is said to have left clues to the location of his stake, which still has plenty of gold left. The first person to unravel the clues and find the mine can stake the claim and become filthy rich. Jasper is quick to catch gold fever and knows he and Melvin can find the mine—all they have to do is survive the rough Alaskan terrain, along with the steep competition from the unscrupulous and dangerous people they encounter along the way.
In an endearing, funny, pitch-perfect middle grade voice, Caroline Starr Rose tells another stellar historical adventure young readers will long remember.
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    • Kirkus

      January 1, 2017
      News that gold's been discovered in northern Canada has just arrived in 1897 Seattle; learning that his brother, Mel, has joined the stampede of amateur prospectors, Jasper, 11, follows him north.With their mother dead and their father alcoholic and unemployed, Mel, 16, was the family breadwinner. Feeling hurt and abandoned, afraid Mel might send him home, Jasper sneaks onto the ship that will take them to Skagway, Alaska. Jasper's brought along their father's gold pocket watch and mother's washboard; resourceful and determined, he trades his laundry services for a place to sleep and money for food, avoiding capture as a stowaway. The prospectors embarking on this long, dangerous journey to the Klondike as winter approaches are rough, dishonest, and highly credulous (even Jasper questions whether Yukon gold litters the ground or grows on trees). But like them, Jasper's spellbound by the story of One-Eyed Riley, an unhinged prospector who abandoned his valuable claim but left clues to its whereabouts. Untold riches await the miner who solves the riddles. Jasper narrates in the present tense, his homespun voice evoking both emotion and adventure. Rose milks the setting for all it's worth. Jasper and Mel are both white. Villains and allies provide colorful melodrama, but it's the brothers' struggle to survive the Yukon wilderness with its harsh beauty and unforgiving cold that will keep readers entranced. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 10-14)

      COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      February 1, 2017

      Gr 4-7-The dreams and dangers of the 1879 Klondike gold rush fuel Rose's first novel in prose, and it's a rousing historical adventure. By the end of the first chapter, news of the strikes reaches 11-year-old Jasper and 16-year-old Melvin's rural Washington town. The brothers quickly forsake their abusive father and set out for the gold fields of Canada. Harsh weather and physical challenges aren't the only perils along the way. Stampeders are more likely to steal from than help one another, especially two boys traveling alone. Tall tales of gold that grows on trees keep the brothers' hopes high; Jasper is spurred on by the legend of a million-dollar stake abandoned by miner One-Eyed Riley, who left behind a series of riddles leading to the gold. It's unlikely that readers will be able to solve the riddles and locate Riley's claim on the included map, but that won't deter them. Rose's carefully plotted clues, along with colorful supporting characters and narrow escapes, keep the pace brisk until Jasper finds Riley's mine in a suspenseful climax. Complementing a narrative rich in details about life on the frontier, the author's note provides more intriguing facts, including profiles of characters in the book who were true historical figures.

      Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • The Horn Book

      July 1, 2017
      After hearing about gold in the Klondike, eleven-year-old Jasper and his older brother, Melvin, run away from their drunken father in 1897 Washington State. They search for a mysterious stake of land worth millions, available to whoever can solve the riddles to find it. The rough and wild reality of the Alaskan wilderness is brought to vivid life in this entertaining and heartfelt tale.

      (Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

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  • Kindle Book
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Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:4.6
  • Lexile® Measure:750
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

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