- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Middle Grade; Reprint edition (Sep 21 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0380729148
- ISBN-13: 978-0380729142
- Product Dimensions: 19.3 x 12.7 x 1.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 159 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #260,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Fifteen-year-old Jason first hears about the discovery of gold in the Klondike while working as a paperboy in New York. He quickly rushes to Seattle to meet up with his brothers, only to find that they have left for the Yukon without him. As he goes the trip alone, adventures pile up. Fighting bears, shooting rapids, and even a crazed moose can't stop him from joining his brothers. Author Will Hobbs (Morrow, 1999) threads Jason's travels with actual historical figures, including Jack London. Also, sprinklings of actual events of the gold rush give listeners an idea of the difficulties encountered. Boyd Gaines is up to the task of narrating Jason through each adventure. His steady, but excited voice adds extra suspense to each dramatic event. Voice changes between characters are minor, though Gaines does manage to make one minor character sound like Jimmy Stewart. With sturdy cassette case and inviting cover art, this audiobook will be well received by those seeking to add to their adventure collections for middle school listeners.
Todd Dunkelberg, Deschutes Public Library System, OR
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Todd Dunkelberg, Deschutes Public Library System, OR
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Grade 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 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend, OR
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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First Sentence
When the story broke on the streets of New York, it took off like a wildfire on a windy day. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
When the story broke on the streets of New York, it took off like a wildfire on a windy day. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brutal and Real,
By
This review is from: Jason's Gold (Paperback)
Reason for Reading: Read aloud to my son as part of our history curriculum.Summary: Fifteen-year-old Jason Hawthorn is on the other side of the country when he hears of the Klondike Gold Rush. The only adventurous one in the family he high tails it back to Seattle to convince his older brothers to stake him with their inheritance so he can go North. When he arrives home, he's astounded to find that his brothers were one of the first to leave for the Klondike and they left him a letter saying they had added his inheritance to complete their outfit and have made him a complete partner. With only $10 in his pocket Jason follows his brothers, trying to catch up to them as he goes. Along the way the reader learns the glorious and gruesome, adventurous, heroic history of the Klondike Gold Rush; completely rampant with lawlessness until you were on Canadian soil where the Mounties ruled with an iron fist. Comments: I've always wanted to read Will Hobbs. I've always been attracted to teen boy's survival in the wilderness tales and many of his books seem to have that theme. This is the first book I've read by him and I was riveted, as was my son. We have the sequel here and my ds has requested we read it right away. The writing is fabulous, the detail is excruciating and the history is well researched. As we follow Jason on his trip North he encounters adventures and hardships one after the other and the reader becomes excited with him, scared, worried and sad with him. The details of some parts are quite brutal. The author held nothing back in describing the details of White Pass and why it became nicknamed Dead Horse Pass. There are some brutal episodes in the story but there is also humour and a sense of accomplishment throughout. Due to my son's younger age, 9yo, I did edit on the fly as I was reading aloud somewhat, in extreme cases, for example there is a part that is very emotional involving dogs and at the end Jason turns around and observes the man has "blown his brains out". I said "he shot himself" as the scene had already affected the 9yo to the intended point. Therefore, I recommend the book for readers eleven and over, and as a read aloud for youngers. It took the 9yo a little while to get into the book; it has a high vocabulary and no pictures but once Jason actually got started on his adventure his interest level piqued until he became very involved in Jason's plight and there was one point which made him shed some tears. I highly recommend this gripping story and while written by an American, it is a fascinating piece of Canadian historical fiction.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Jason's Gold,
By A Customer
This review is from: Jason's Gold (Paperback)
This book was great! I didn't want to put it down. Jason's adventure really shows how hard it was to travel to Alaska. It also shows how many people didn't get rich and how much they suffered. Some even died. He meets many famous people along the way. He works hard and smart. I wish I could have this adventure. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what it was like in the Klondike.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Jason's Gold,
By Macon (California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Jason's Gold (Paperback)
This book was very exciting. I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to see what would happen to him if he made it all the way. Although Jason had some hard times, I wish I could have done all the things he did. It really helped me to understand what the people who went looking for gold in Alaska went through and how many people never found gold or died. He also meets many famous people along the way. I recommend this book to anyone who wants adventure.
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