A Recent Book I read: BY The Great Horn Spoon!

Hello everyone! Sorry it’s been so long since my last post, that’s my bad.

This post is going to be some quick insight on this recent book I read for history class. It’s set in the time of the California Gold Rush and I surprisingly think very highly of it. It was very wholesome and I got into my bed, thinking I’d just read a few chapters but actually stayed up reading the whole thing because of how good it was!

One of the historical fiction books I read for school was by far the best one yet. By the Great Horn Spoon! by Sid Fleischman was printed in 1963, the publisher being Little, Brown and Company.

The Characters

Fleischman wrote his nicely flowing, shorter chapter book very well, with a good mix of conflict and humor. The characters are likable and had each of their own personalities and characteristics. The book centers around two main characters: young Jack Flagg, and his butler Praiseworthy. Both characters had good intentions and they made a perfect duo; with Jack being a wide-eyed but brave twelve year old boy and Praiseworthy being the most loyal, clever, but humble butler. They do have one main thing in common, and it thrusts them throughout the book: determination.

The story takes place around 1849, when the California Gold Rush broke out. Jack’s Aunt Arabella (who he lives with along with his two siblings and Praiseworthy) is running poor and she needs more money, or else she has to sell their house. With this hanging over his head, Jack decides to go to California to do some mining and strike gold. Loyal butler that he is, Praiseworthy goes along. ‘

Praiseworthy and Jack always seem to be encountering conflict throughout the book. Though, without the conflict, there would be no adventure, but with too much conflict and no humor, the book would be too exhausting. A good author keeps a good balance of both, and not to mention builds up good characters. Fleischman did just that in his rollicking, heartfelt, wholesome, but conflicting book. Full of adventure and danger, but lovable characters with hopeful hearts, By the Great Horn Spoon! is declared a masterpiece in my opinion. I hope that you read it and enjoy the wonderful writing of Sid Fleischman, and embark on the amazing adventures of Praiseworthy and Jack.

The Trials

But getting to California by ship was only half the battle for the two determined team. After the gruesome long journey at sea, they must figure out where to sleep, eat and settle in California; and then learn how to find gold not to mention make a stake and then actually FIND the gold.

As if that’s not enough, it seems like there are constantly problems popping up, one after another. Bad weather seems to favor the boat, keeping a pig safe from a chef, finding a stowaway or impostor, bandits, and so much more. The conflict is sort of sprawled throughout the book, not just one problem escalating. Though, essentially, in a way it is because all the two characters want to do is strike rich to save and help Aunt Arabella. Time is not on their side, and a lot of things don’t seem to be either.

At one point, when they’re just about running out of time, and when you least expect it–they strike rich. This is wonderfully uplifting to them, but as they head home, they end up losing all their gold because they almost drown and their riches were weighing them down. Once they get to the next town, though, there are many cats and they sell them to someone who needs them so much, they’re practically rich again! It’s a silly solution but it’s one of my favorite things about Fleischman’s writing. A problem is a problem, but why can’t some of the problems or solutions be funny?

Then they actually are able to get the money, and bring it to Aunt Arabella and Jack’s sisters. It turns out they already ahd to sell their house, but they all decide to move to California My favorite quote is the last line of the book:

“They looked very much like a family. They felt like a family. They were a family.”