In Search of Klondike Gold

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

It is Sunday afternoon and Grade 5 students Michael and Simon have left
their Klondike Gold Rush history project to the last minute. When they
finally get to the library, they are dismayed to find that it has closed
early for inventory. Fortunately for them, they run into a helpful
janitor, Mr. Sanderson. When they explain their problem, Mr. Sanderson
comes to the rescue by revealing that he has more than just a mop and
bucket in his janitor’s closet. He is also custodian of a secret time
machine.

Using the machine, the boys travel back to 1898 Alaska. They land up to
their waists in snow, surrounded by thousands of desperate fortune
hunters struggling up the Chilkoot Pass with more than a ton of supplies
each. Simon and Michael immediately want to return home, but then they
meet Frank, a smelly bear of a man who takes an immediate liking to them
and shows them the basics of being a gold stampeder. With Frank’s
help, the boys ice-sled over a frozen lake, paddle a homemade boat down
the Yukon River, and eventually strike gold near Dawson City. They
return home in plenty of time to write their essays before their Monday
morning deadline.

This fine first novel by Lynda Wilson is part of Roussan’s
time-travel series featuring Mr. Sanderson, the ever-helpful time-travel
janitor who enables young Canadians to get a hands-on lesson in history.
Wilson creates a humorous tension in the plot by playing off the
personality differences between her two main characters. The result is a
fast-paced juvenile novel that entertains as it educates. Highly
recommended.