The Secret Valley

Clyde Robert Bulla follows ten-year-old Frank and eight-year-old Ellen as they leave Missouri behind in a covered wagon hitched to two mules. The narrative captures the daily hazards of pioneer travel as the wagon train crosses dusty prairies, meets friendly tribes, and builds rafts to navigate deep rivers.

In California, the chronicle depicts the hard reality of the goldfields in a bustling tent city, where miners stake claims along the stream with picks, shovels, and rocking cradles. The author introduces an elderly neighbour, Father John, who draws the children a pencil map to a quiet green valley hidden among the hills.

This exciting chronicle has the same appeal as Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books.

• American History for Kids: Young readers see early frontier life through authentic historical details, from wagon train scouts and evening fiddle tunes to miners constructing dams along rushing streams.
• Sibling Dynamics: Ten-year-old Frank and his sister Ellen watch out for each other on the trail, whether trading a pocketknife to protect their kitten or writing letters on cut paper bags.
• Frontier Adventure: Daily life on the trail brings unexpected encounters, including a wandering pet bear, buffalo herds on the plains, and a gold nugget larger than a hen’s egg.
• Also by This Author: A Lion to Guard Us, The Sword in the Tree and Shoeshine Girl.