Goldtown Beginnings
A boy, his dog, and a gold pan. It’s 1859 and the height of the gold rush. Seven-year-old Jem Coulter and his family pan gold on their claim alongside Cripple Creek. Large print and illustrated, these first-chapter books are perfect for boys (and girls) ages 6-9. Add activity guides, lapbooks, and coloring pages for a year’s worth of educational fun. 🔎 Click on the book covers to read sample chapters.
Pa pans gold, and Mama bakes pies. Jem wants to help, but mean Will Sterling ruins his pie-selling errands. When Strike-it-rich Sam shows up with a dog, Jem has the answer to the bully problem. But is another mouth to feed a good idea?
Jem catch bullfrogs to seel to the cafe. What a great job for an active boy! But when his little sister, Ellie, gets in the way, Jem loses his temper. Now Ellie is missing, and Jem knows it’s his fault. Can he find Ellie before it’s too late?
A silver dollar goes missing from Will’ss collection, and Jem is blamed. After all, he’s the only one who went indoors during recess. When a charm bracelet is stolen the next day, more fingers point his way. How can Jem prove he isn’t the culprit?
Jem and his prospector friend, Strike, take a two-week prospecting trip for Jem’s eighth birthday. Will the two prospectors bring home treasure or return empty-handed? Or worse . . . will they make it home at all?
A reward poster for a lost dog that looks exactly like Nugget goes up around Goldtown. Jem and Ellie are horrified. They can’t give up Gold Nugget. Not even for $2,000. But the choice might be taken out of their hands.
An unexpected cold snap brings a surprise to Goldtown . . . snow! The rare snowfall brings another, more dangerous surprise: predators following the wildlife that have come down from the high country to find food.
Meet the Coulter Family
Jem
A spirited seven‑year‑old boy who loves exploring Cripple Creek and dreams of striking it rich. He loves his family, his dog Nugget, and panning for gold.
Ellie
A talkative, wide‑eyed five‑year‑old little girl who follows Jem everywhere and wants to be in on each and every one of his adventures.
Mama & Papa
A hardworking prospector and his steady wife who keep family life running in their big Cripple Creek tent while hoping each day brings a little more gold.
Strike
A friendly prospector whose tall tales and gold‑camp wisdom delight Jem and Ellie. He looks for gold with his stubborn donkey, Canary.
What Readers Say
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I would highly recommend this great series for young children up to the age of 9. My boys thoroughly enjoyed the storyline of both Jem Strikes Gold and Jem’s Frog Fiasco while learning lots about gold panning and gold mining town life in the 1800s. –Kari Lynn, Ranching with Kids
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ My 6 yr old boy loved this book! Great detail in chapters and just a fun book! He wants to read the others in the series! Short chapters, engaging, and clean! – Beverly
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Susan K. Marlow does a wonderful job weaving life lessons into age appropriate books that captivate the kids. –Jennifer, Raising Leafs
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ JEM STRIKES GOLD is a cute little historical fiction for beginning readers. The point of view character is a little boy so this story might appeal to boys, especially if they like westerns and gold rush stories. There are a lot of historical details so also great for homeschoolers. I loved the puppy and the lessons Jem learns along the way. -Gold Nuggets