Fool's Gold - Softcover

Snyder, Zilpha Keatley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0440409527 ISBN 13: 9780440409526

Publisher: Yearling, 1994

Synopsis

For as long as he can remember, people have  warned fourteen-year-old Rudy and other kids in the  neighborhood not to play in Pyramid Hill's abandoned  gold mines. Even Rudy's best friend, Barney, a  true daredevil, won't go near those cavernous death  traps. That is, until Tyler Lewis moves in from  L.A. Ty's determined to go in, and he's got a map.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-7-- Rudy, 14, anticipates summer vacation with a mixture of typical excitement and mysterious dread. Plans of horseback riding and hanging out with his buddy Barney are complicated by flashy newcomer Tyler and his scheme to explore the abandoned (and forbidden) Pritchard Hole mine. Because the very idea of venturing into a dark enclosed space fills Rudy with an unexplained and all-consuming terror, he spends much of his time planning ways to avoid the expedition, ultimately enriching his summer experiences. On the path to understanding his own feelings, Rudy's brave exploration of his inner depths eventually leads him to muster the courage for his heroic rescue of Barney. A fine adventure story, and prime material for booktalking, Snyder's lively plot and distinctive characters provide the vehicle for a greater understanding of one's self and others. A variety of contrasting images results in a rich, varied panorama for readers to consider. The genuine closeness of a small community is underscored by the more artificial atmosphere created for the annual infusion of tourists. Likewise, steady, thoughtful characters are contrasted with those who are superficial and self-centered, while others reveal unexpected depth. Rudy himself must reconcile his worries with his more natural carefree impulses. Both fast paced and thought provoking, Fool's Gold will be a solid nugget for reading and discussion. --Starr LaTronica, North Berkeley Library, CA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Rudy cannot avoid the fact that his best friend, Barney, has grown increasingly close to Tyler, the mildly delinquent boy who recently moved to their small town from L.A. To make matters worse, Tyler is determined that Barney and Rudy join him in a hare-brained scheme to hunt for gold in an abandoned mineshaft. But Rudy is haunted by deep-seated fears stemming from a long forgotten accident. Unexpectedly, the boy's summer becomes a season of self-discovery, as he gains glimpses into the personalities of Barney, Tyler and his two half-sisters and--perhaps more importantly--comes to terms with the cause of his own claustrophobia. Plucky, resourceful Rudy is a likable protagonist--and his story is as ebullient as it is adventurous. Veteran author Snyder displays an easy familiarity with the texture of life in Rudy's "awesomely quaint and historic California gold-rush town." Unfortunately, Rudy may be just too sensitive and articulate to be taken seriously by what is presumably this story's target audience--middle-grade boys. While the sheer multitude of crises in Rudy's life calls to mind the issue-packed stories of Chris Crutcher, this novel never fully achieves the confident grasp of male adolescent zeitgeist that permeates that author's tales. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yearling
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0440409527
• ISBN 13: 9780440409526
• Binding: Paperback