Background

Writing children’s books is not the career that author Sid Fleischman saw for himself while he was growing up during the Great Depression. In the fifth grade, Fleischman decided that he wanted to be a magician. After graduating from high school, he joined and traveled with a vaudeville troupe. Fleischman was in the naval reserve, and after college, he began to work for a San Diego newspaper. The newspaper folded, and he began writing fiction. Mr. Fleischman has written over 35 books, some of which have been made into movies. Walt Disney’s 1967 movie, The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin, was based on the book, By the Great Horn Spoon.

The Novel

The Journey Begins
The book begins as the two main characters, Jack and Praiseworthy, stow away in the cargo hold of the ship Lady Wilma. We learn quickly about the characters and their values. Think about the actions of Jack and Praiseworthy. They did not wait to be found. They went to the captain and announced their presence. What does this say about their values?

Charting the Course
The book continues, and we experience life aboard the ship. Do you think the book is telling us about a common trip, or has the author embellished the experience? Why or why not? Do you think ship captains would put their vessels in danger just to win a bet?

Journey’s End
After Jack and Praiseworthy’s experiences and luck in the gold fields, their hopes are dashed by an accident. But these forty-niners make the best of a bad situation, and Praiseworthy ends up with a great family. There was a shortage of women on the West Coast. Isa Mercer from Seattle went to the East Coast to recruit women to come to the Northwest. Were there other cities that had a similar problem? Why were so many women on the East Coast willing to come out West in the late 1860s?

Activities

Write a Journal
Journals were part of an explorer’s experience. Many different travelers wrote of their experience along the trail or while onboard the ship. After reading this book, write a journal for one of the main characters. Include interesting things done or seen in the story.

Create a diagram
What were real mining towns like? What does the fictitious town of Hangtown look like? Create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting these towns.

Watch the movie
Disney released a movie based on this book in 1967. It was re-released in the spring of 2005. Watch the movie, The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin, and write a five-paragraph essay discussing the similarities and differences between the book and movie.