The Golden Venture by Jane Flory

 "When Pa decided at the last moment to set out for California to claim his share of the fabled gold, Minnie just knew she couldn't bear being left behind in quiet old St. Joe with her spinster Aunt Addie. The trail west was a trail of bones, she'd heard, but regardless, one bright sunshiny morning Minnie Weldon took leave of her pretty blue and white bedroom with its Rob Peter quilt and starched curtains and stowed away behind the flour barrel in the big covered wagon. 

"Minnie took a gamble, a rash one at that, and Pa nearly turned back when she finally climbed out of the wagon. But it also won Minnie a whole new life in the vast freedom of the prairies, the arduous crossing of the Rockies, and at last the descent into the wild hurly-burly of San Francisco at the height of the Gold Rush. There, for a time, Minnie had to survive by her wits alone and in the process of doing so amassed her own crock of gold." (from the dust jacket)

I distinctly remember reading The Golden Venture multiple times when growing up (both to myself and aloud). Reading it aloud this time as an adult, the beginning did start out slower than I remembered (or maybe that's just cause I was more nervous about keeping my audience riveted?), but my listeners didn't have any issues and at the end promptly asked if we could read the whole thing over again, so I needn't have worried -- it does indeed have that much sought after, spell-binding effect. XD

Definitely one of my top historical fiction recommendations for the CA Gold Rush Era, I consider it part of the top triad of books that created the tremendously vivid feeling I still have for the period. (Hee, I know that was a slightly complicated thought -- the upshot is, maybe I should just make a mini-series out of this and review the other two soon as well? ;))

The Golden Venture has a ton of sturdy, pull-up-by-your-own-bootsraps-ness, showing how life was dangerous and very real, but with ingenuity, hard work, and spunk, even young fry could make a difference -- and a big difference. So that's always fascinating. (And of course, there's the adventure aspect.) It's also pretty much entirely centered around a 'found family' -- which is all super sweet, and funny by times, and even brings a spice of romance at the end (told from a youngster's perspective). It's just happy.

So yes, definitely recommend this one and I'd love to hear if you're interested!

Reading level round ages 8-11 and up. Could be read aloud before that.