When I heard that The Big Read this year is tied in with the anniversary of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo of 1909, I immediately thought of a book I often recommend to reluctant readers called Jason's Gold by Will Hobbs.
When the Alaska gold rush fever bites him, 15-year old Jason heads north after his two older brothers who've already been bitten. With our generation's 20-20 hindsight, we know what a difficult journey this would be, but Jason is blissful in his exuberant ignorance and hurries off to make his fortune.
On his trek he encounters some colorful characters and saves an abused dog who becomes his companion. He also, in a clever plot addition, meets a young Jack London who clearly sees Jason's dog as the model for a dog named Buck in a little book
he will eventually write called The Call of the Wild. A frozen winter cabin, food scarcity, a trip down the icy Yukon River, and a beautiful girl are thrown in for good measure.
This book is a nice combination of historical fiction as well as thrilling survival tale. Written for 5th-8th graders, it appeals to readers who want a quick-moving story and those who like reading stories about the past. Check out this and other great stories as part of this year's Big Read!
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