Gold Pans, Gumption, and Growing Up Fast. It’s 1864. The California gold rush is over, but there is still pleny of adventure for 12-year-old Jem, his sister, Ellie, and their cousin Nathan. Solid middle-grade fiction for boys (and girls) ages 9-13. Add study guides and lapbooks for a year’s worth of educational fun. 🔎 Click on the book covers to read sample chapters. 📖
Twelve-year-old Jem Coulter and his sister Ellie’s live are turned upside down when their father becomes sheriff of lawless Goldtown, California, in 1864.
When the Midas mine plays out, Goldtown may become a ghost town. Jem will do anything to find a way to help save the mine. But is his friend Will’s plan too risky?
As “man of the family” for the week, Jem must figure out what happened to their family’s stolen horse and rifle before his father returns home to Goldtown.
A trip to Sacramento turns dangerous when Jem tries to help his father keep gold bound for the Union from falling into the hands of Confederate sympathizers.
To raise money for Cousin Nathan’s operation, Jem, Ellie, and Strike-it-rich Sam head for the high Sierra to find and recover the gold they lost five years ago on a previous prospecting trip.
When Jem is shanghaied, he must survive as a cabin boy aboard a sailing ship. He endures seasickness, storms, and rough sailors all the while looking for a way to jump ship and return home.
What Readers Say
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I have five sons. They aren’t big readers, but they can’t get enough of the books in this series! Each chapter ends in a suspenseful moment and leaves them begging for more. Very well written with exciting storylines and good morals. –Christy P.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Having books safe for my kids to read is important to me. The kids have a hard time putting them down. That’s a huge plus for me. These books are full of adventure and excitement and Christian values. It is nice to see/read the main character in these books turning to God in times of trouble without making the whole book a sermon. –Vickie
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Our family LOVES the Goldtown Adventures! The books are excellent….well written, exciting and wholesome! All of my kids love everything Susan K. Marlow writes and were so excited for the new books! -Zoltan Holubecz
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Roasted rattlesnakes! Have you been confounded in your search for an adventure-filled, wholesome stories for tweens? That’s a tall order these days. And if you hope to find one with a bent towards boys, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Author Susan K. Marlow comes to the rescue with her new series for boys–just in time for Christmas! -WriteFitz
