Call of the Klondike: A True Gold Rush Adventure

I’d recommend this book for a a nonfiction literature circle in grades 5 (savvy readers) through 8 (striving readers). It would also be worthy of doing a book talk and placing in a prominent space in the classroom library –in hopes that a student will pick up for independent reading. The authors have done a fabulous job of tapping and integrating primary sources “to tell the story of” two men’s journey to the farthest reaches of the gold strike in the late 19th century – territory near the rugged Dawson City in rural Canada.In the summer of 1897, Stanley Pearce and Marshall Bond, two college friends, were in Seattle when gold diggers returned with a plethora of nuggets. They immediately touched base with family about financing a trip up north. Bond kept a diary and both wrote to their parents. These primary sources along with telegrams and news articles (written by Pearce) were preserved by family members and landed in the hands of Kim Richardson, a co-author.The text is almost equal parts narrative/informational text written by the authors and primary sources--woven together in a seamless narrative along with maps, photographs, and other 19th century sources of print. The appeal of the narrative is in the harrowing moments of Bond and Pearce’s party’s trek across the White Pass Trail (where there was not a clear path and it was already snowing) and the ride down the treacherous Whitehorse rapids–all with a year’s worth of provisions! Then there’s the continuous exposure to severe weather and the many times futile attempts to discover any gold – all with a ton of work and an unexpected ending.This book would be a great way to immerse students in reading primary sources – sources that are a little more accessible than say the Declaration of Independence – without a ton of support from you, the teacher. For more thoughts on prompts I would use for reading response or preparation for nonfiction literature circle discussions - visit my blog entry on this at http://sundaycummins.wordpress.com/2014/10/09/book-review-and-reading-response-prompts/.

Marshall Bond and Stanley Pearce saw the first adventurers to the Klondike return to Seattle with bags of gold. Borrowing money from their fathers, they went north to Alaska and overland into the Klondike. Using their letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles, David Meissner recreates their adventures on the Dead Horse Trails, through the rapids, and hiking twenty or thirty miles in life-threatening cold. He describes the bone-breaking work of digging for gold. Meissner writes a history, not a historical novel. It is well-written, entertaining, and holds the interest. He has chosen his pictures well.

Great book for a feel of life during the gold rush! It was a little confusing figuring out where the chapters were as they aren’t clearly marked

I mean, it’s a book for a middle school summer reading list so, yeah, I guess it met its goal

True adventure, with fun and informative graphics.This really brings to life what it was like to be off an adventure prospecting in a gold rush, probably repeated for thousands or tens fo thousands of young men in our country's history.I've bought copies for all the young people in my family. Be bold!

This is an amazing true adventure story backed up by photos, diary entries, and letters. It is an easy and quick read for readers young and old. I read it in one sitting.

It’s a bad and crappy book don’t buy it unless your a teacher if your not just search it up on the internet

In 1897, a steamship arrived in Seattle carrying miners returning from northern Canada. A crowd gathered when they saw the miners carrying large quantities of gold. It had been 40 years since the California gold rush, and men had learned some things. Gold discoveries were finite; as quickly as they appeared, they could fizzle. The only way to make money in gold was to be there at the beginning. This is the story of two men who were in Seattle at the port that day, and how they raced hundreds of other men to get to the Klondike region immediately.Acquiring money, food, winter clothing, medicines, mining equipment, building materials, and transportation to the Klondike, 1500 miles away, was a daunting task, but Stanley Pearce and Marshall Bond managed to be on the very next steamship headed north. Their adventures, travels, and hardships are told in letters, journals, and photos, and put the reader on the front line of a true gold rush adventure.Although adults are fascinated with Pearce and Bond's adventure, I found that middle-grade students were not. Perhaps they just don't have enough background in what hardship feels like, or perhaps they are used to historical fiction, with its dialogue and pacing, rather than historical nonfiction, which usually lacks both. Definitely a winner for adults, and selected teens 12 and older.