Altman, Linda Jacobs. The California Gold Rush.

Altman, Linda Jacobs.  The California Gold Rush.         Enslow, 2012. 128p    $31.93   ISBN 978-0-7660-3953-7     ms       VG-BNS                    

This book begins with John Marshall’s discovery of gold in California and then proceeds to describe the race westward, the growth of California and its justice system and inequalities, and finally, the plight of women who ventured there.  In her well-organized and well-written book about the California gold rush, author Linda Jacobs Altman accomplishes several things: she conveys the excitement of the gold rush, demonstrates the inequalities and injustices of the times, and provides a thorough overview of the topic.  Her writing style is exciting, descriptive, colorful and inviting!  For example, she describes the man who discovered gold, John Marshall, as a quirky loner who believed he could communicate with the dead, while John Sutter was a charming rascal who could sell sand in the desert. Her characterizations and wealth of information prompt the reader to keep turning the pages!  Her main character, Sarah Royce, guides the reader through the story in an interesting fashion.  The book is divided into seven chapters, each one filled with a wide variety of information.  Altman includes the journey to California, greed, the justice system, inequality among the diverse cultural groups that settled there, and the plight of any female who was courageous or crazy enough to make the trip.  In the chapter entitled, “California Bound,” the reader learns of the journey by ship, which was boring but included high adventures that made the travelers’ journals fascinating to read.  The dangers of malaria in Panama, treacherous travel conditions near Cape Horn, and the threat of scurvy were just a few of the obstacles awaiting the gold seekers.  The overland route contained even more brutal realities, like the hostility of native peoples, starvation, and diseases like cholera.  Middle-school teachers cannot ignore vocabulary acquisition, and Altman covers that well, with vocabulary words like “interloper” and “emigrant".  The photographs support the text and add to reading enjoyment.  The book ends with a timeline, chapter notes, lists of resources, and a thorough index.  This book is certain to add to the social-studies curriculum or enhance a student's knowledge of a unique event in American history that changed the face of the nation.  The series “Stories in American History” provides a look at nation-changing events, such as the Underground Railroad, the Transcontinental Railroad, the Alamo, the Manhattan Project, and the California gold rush.  Each book presents the background information and details about the ways the event changed American history.

Subject: California Gold Rush           

Martha Squaresky