By the Great Horn Spoon! by Sid Fleischman; 1963; 193 pages; Little, Brown and Company, Boston, MA; 0-316-28577-3; 5/19/09-5/19/09

This was made into a movie in 1967, with Roddy McDowall, Suzanne Pleshette, Karl Malden and Mike Mazurki.  I read the movie adaption back before I was 12 or 13 and have always remembered the book fondly.  I have never seen the movie, that I remember but  own the movie poster.  I picked up a copy of the original book when it came through the bookstore. I read it today going to and from PGE Park for an interview to work at the AAA All Star Game in July.

The book recounts the story of young Jack Flagg as he and his butler, Praiseworthy, stow away on a ship bound for the gold fields of California to raise money to save the familial home in Boston.  It recounts their adventures onboard ship and in the gold fields as they grow into the men they were supposed to be.   The story is not so much about getting rich as it is about using your ingenuity to help yourself along.  A great story for the teenage set.  Now I need to get my hands on a copy of Johnny Tremain, another favorite from the early days of my reading.  RRRR