By the Great Horn Spoon! [Hardcover]

Sid Fleischman (Author), Eric von Schmidt (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 1963 | Age Level: 9 and up

It is 1849 and Jack Flagg stows away on a ship headed for the California gold fields where he plans to recoup his Auntie Arabella's fortune.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Two tales of trickery and exaggeration by the Newbery Medalist feature adventures in the Old West and during the California Gold Rush. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7–Listeners are in for a treat with this satisfying reading of Sid Fleischman's novel (Little, 1963). Brimming with riveting adventure, the story is set during the Gold Rush. The fast-moving plot follows the high spirited young Jack and his aunt's faithful butler, Praiseworthy, as they set out to strike it rich in order to support the financially strapped and beloved Aunt Arabella. As Jack and the loyal butler travel by sea and land, the pair meet a series of memorable characters such as the daring, crusty sea Captain Swain and the diabolical Cut-Eye Higgins. The individual personalities of the characters are reflected through the expressive voices rendered by the large cast of 24 readers. Jack and Praiseworthy are the most well-rounded characters. While some of the readers use more expression than others, Willard E. Lape, Jr.'s strong narration is crisp and well-paced. Bouncy folk-style music, appropriate to the historical setting, separates each chapter. This entertaining production is a worthy purchase for libraries with large children's audio collections.–Lynn K. Vanca, Akron-Summit County Public Library, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 193 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown; 1ST edition (January 30, 1963)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316285773
• ISBN-13: 978-0316285773
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,829,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A joy to read out loud., February 13, 2002

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: By the Great Horn Spoon! (Paperback)

When I was nine, I read this book. At age 40, I read the same copy to my children, ages ten and eight. As much as I enjoyed reading it the first time, reading it out loud was a much richer experience.

The writing flows naturally, and encourages a great variation in expression. The adventure truly comes out in the reader's voice. I am an actor, but I felt that this story would bring out the actor in anybody.

The story was so exciting and surprising that long reading sessions never dragged. At several points, my children threw themselves down on the floor and yelled, "Oh my gosh!"

This experience brought it all together for me, if I may speak personally: books, performing, involvement with my children, a classic story that I relished as a child myself. Those evenings added up to the happiest time of my life.

The plot concerns a boy who runs away during the California gold rush--with his butler!--to try to get his family out of debt. The adventures along the way are episodic, and each episode is an amazing and believable story in itself. Every step in the journey is given full attention: the voyage from Boston to San Francisco, the trip to the gold fields, the experiences among the miners. There are plenty of colorful characters, and plenty of opportunities for the two main characters to grow. There are also several threads that run through the whole story, maintaining suspense. Their resolution is unpredictable and satisfying.

There was very little in the book that could make a parent squirm, and very little that sounded out of date. But there were three moments that made me pause: 1) There is a fist fight, though it is handled in a light-hearted way. 2) There is a reference to corporal punishment when an adult threatens to "take a hairbrush" to a child. 3) There is an expression used once that might be innocent for all I know, but sure doesn't sound that way: "That's mighty white of you."

Minor reservations, I hope you'll agree. So plunge in and have an experience you and your listeners will never forget.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I ground in a few acorns for flavor.", August 17, 2006

By 

J. H. Minde "Everything I need is right here" (Boca Raton, Florida and Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: By the Great Horn Spoon! (Paperback)

BY THE GREAT HORN SPOON! is written for younger readers but is a delightful light read even for adults, who will get through this book in one sitting.

The story concerns young Jack Flagg of Boston and his faithful manservant Praiseworthy who, upon discovering that Jack's foster Aunt Arabella is virtually penniless, decide to set out for the California Gold Rush and save the family from poverty. Along the way, Jack and Praiseworthy have numerous adventures (they are forced to stow away aboard ship, they run afoul of the highwayman Cut-Eye Higgins, Praiseworthy, a model of rectitude, becomes renowned in the gold fields as "Bullwhip," the man who can win any fight, and they strike it rich), through all of which they persevere, largely because of their wit, their intelligence, and their reliance on each other. BY THE GREAT HORN SPOON! is a wonderful lesson in the nature of true friendship.

A fun story with a fine sense of historical place and memorably colorful characters, BY THE GREAT HORN SPOON! is a story for children of all ages.

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun filled adventure!, April 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: By the Great Horn Spoon! (Paperback)

By the Great Horn Spoon is such an exciting book! Jack Flagg and his butler Praiseworthy set out to the gold fields to save his Aunt Arabella's fortune. They go on sea journey and are headed to the gold mines. On the way, they meet some hilarious people. In the gold country, everyone has a nickame. In this book, you'll find the most hilarious nicknames.This book is so funny that you will have a stomach ache from laughing and it is so good that you will not be able to put it down. While you are busy enjoying the book, you will be learnig about the gold rush in the year 1912 in San Francisco, California.This book is good for both adults and children. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading a funny, interesting, and exciting book.