The Secret Valley
About this ebook
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.
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About the author
Clyde Robert Bulla is the author of over fifty books for children, including The Secret Valley and The Story of Valentine’s Day. He has been writing since 1946, when he published his first book, The Donkey Cart. Mr. Bulla was the first recipient of the Southern California Council on Children’s Literature award for distinguished contribution to the field. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
