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Sid Fleischman
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By the Great Hornspoon! Paperback – April 30, 1988

by Sid Fleischman (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,453 ratings
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For fans of I Survived and Dear America, this rollicking adventure about the California Gold Rush is a classic from the award-winning author of The Whipping Boy.
 
Jack’s aunt is in trouble—even after she sells her beloved mansion, she still doesn’t have enough money to pay off all her debts, or to take care of twelve-year-old Jack and his two sisters. Luckily Jack has a plan to save the family.
 
He’s going to strike gold. Setting out from Boston with his stuffy but trusty butler, Praiseworthy, the two of them stow away on a ship bound for California—and the Gold Rush. Along the way they’ll meet sailors, miners, outlaws, and wild animals. But will all it be worth it when they hit pay dirt?
 
Full of action, danger, and intrigue, this historic adventure paints a vivid picture of the old west, and continues to entertain children of each new generation.
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    9 - 11 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    224 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    3 - 7
  5. Lexile measure
    730L
  6. Dimensions
    5.25 x 0.75 x 7.6 inches
  7. Publisher
    Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
  8. Publication date
    April 30, 1988
  9. ISBN-10
    0316286125
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0316286121
  11. See all details
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From the Publisher

By the Great Hornspoon! by Sid Fleischman graphic

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.

Review

This adventure tale, set in the Gold Rush days, is "another uncommonly original...delectable story, told, and illustrated with zest and gusto to the very last page."―The Horn Book

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (April 30, 1988)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316286125
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316286121
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 9 - 11 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 730L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.75 x 7.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,453 ratings

About the author

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Sid Fleischman

Sid Fleischman

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Since his autobiography, The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer's Life, was published in 1996, Sid Fleischman has been stealing the spotlight with his exuberant brand of nonfiction. Sir Charlie: Chaplin, the Funniest Man in the World is Fleischman's fourth true tale, following the widely acclaimed The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West and the best-selling Escape! The Story of The Great Houdini.

Fleischman's books have been made into films, performed as plays, and translated into nineteen languages. The author was awarded the Newbery Medal for The Whipping Boy.

Sid Fleischman lives in Santa Monica, California.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
1,453 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Rachel K
5.0 out of 5 stars Rollicking fun!
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2024
Verified Purchase
Way back when I was ten or so, By the Great Horn Spoon! was the first Sid Fleischman book I ever encountered. My mom read it aloud to my brother and I, and we laughed and laughed and laughed over it.

A few years ago, I read this aloud to my own kids. We also laughed a lot over it. I reread it again this week because I'm using it in a literature class for 3rd-5th grades that I'm teaching. And I laughed again. What a rollicking good adventure this is!

It's a tall tale in the grand tradition of American storytelling, and I love it very much. It not only made me laugh aloud while reading it over again this week, it even made me get tears in my eyes when I hit the very last three lines. Wonderful stuff.
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Greg
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for 4th graders learning about the gold rush!
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2023
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My son loved getting a front row seat into life during California's gold rush. He enjoyed the characters and the story and finished it very quickly and happilly.
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LeAnne E. Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars Prompt delivery
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2024
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Prompt delivery. Excellent condition new.
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David W. Cunis
5.0 out of 5 stars In my top 5 favorite books
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2023
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This book was fantastic it was suspenseful and very action filled I would definitely put this in my top five favorite books.
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ts
4.0 out of 5 stars Swift Delivery
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2023
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I purchased a number of these for my third grade students for our final novel of the school year. The paperbacks arrived in good condition and swiftly. My only negative comment is on the price—paperbacks are printed on cheap paper and bound cheaply. Paying almost 10$ a copy was a bit much. I wish there was some kind of bulk price break for teachers. Anyway, the content of the story is wonderful. I’ve taught this book before and the kids always express surprise over how much they find themselves enjoying not only Fleischman’s writing (quite comical and compelling) but also learning about the gold rush days in San Francisco and the routes of ships prior to the building of the Panama Canal. On the last day of school, my students had the option of taking a copy with them for their own. More than 2/3rds chose a copy!
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Katie Ferreira
5.0 out of 5 stars written by a 4th grader (Scarlett Bartel)
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2022
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This book is an awesome book. It is funny, adventurous, and has a lot of action. My favorite part of this book is when they're being stowaways and solve problems on the Lady Wilma. I would say the theme is "Hardwork pays off". After reading By the Great Horn Spoon I really think it is a good book for anyone young or even old. It has lessons that you can use in your own life like the theme even, "Hard work pays off". Another part that I liked was when Praiseworthy and Jack landed in the bay because the ship exploded and they let their gold go but still found a way to "strike it rich". This book is an awesome book!
12 people found this helpful
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Teressa Niven
5.0 out of 5 stars Good ol' fashioned western stuff
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2018
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Kids love listening to this book during the study of the California Gold Rush. It gives excellent opportunities to expand vocabulary and historical knowledge about things like paddle steam boats, how steam engines worked and what the journey was like for mines seeking their fortunes. I supplemented this with a game where the kids could choose one route to travel to California and they met hardships or had better fortunes along the way. The only movie I could find that goes along with it is the Disney movie The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin. It's old stuff, but the kids really enjoy it.
13 people found this helpful
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S. Silverman
5.0 out of 5 stars Go west with Jack and Praiseworthy
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2008
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That there Eastern young feller, Jack, stows away with the devoted family butler, Praiseworthy, and sails to California's gold fields in search of fortune. A well-written adventure that captures the difficulty of sailing around South America to get to California, and some of the perils, both natural and human, once the duo arrive there. Nineteenth century San Francisco is also among the settings. The two meet up with a variety of fellow gold country folks, both on the up-and-up and distinctly underhanded. Brawns and brains both have prominent roles in good ways, as do caring and hard work. Moments of good humor add much, particularly the nicknames given to Jack and Praiseworthy and those of the other 49ers. There are a number of interesting insights on social relationships, particularly the butler's pride and obligations to his position. Strongly recommended for California fourth graders responsible for state study in social studies, but anyone around that age, or older for that matter, is going to enjoy it, too. Its heart-warming ending only makes it all the better.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Paula Wiebe
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in Canada on June 8, 2023
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Gr8 and hilarious book! Historical fiction
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mags
5.0 out of 5 stars sid Fleischman at his best...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2014
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A terrific tale...I enjoyed it as much as my grand daughter...The scene setting in the gold fields is super...
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David Holmes
5.0 out of 5 stars Good and Fun
Reviewed in Canada on April 17, 2019
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A great story, and a lot of fun to read aloud to your children.
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Gaurav
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on March 30, 2018
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Fast Shipping and accurate description of product !!
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