When Jem Coulter is caught in a miners’ riot, he learns the worst: the Midas mine is no longer producing the gold the town relies on to stay alive. Will, the mine’s owner son, tells Jem the only way to get the Midas working again is to blast deep into the ground. A nearby abandoned mine must be reclaimed for an air shaft.
But Jem discovers that Chinese miners, including his friend Wu Shen, are working those old scavenger diggings. And they aren’t about to give up their claim.
When Jem’s father, the new sheriff of Goldtown, is ordered to evict the Chinese from their mine or lose his job, Jem is caught in the middle. Then Will comes up with a solution. If Jem goes along with it, Pa can keep his job and the Midas will get its air shaft. What Jem doesn’t realize is that Will’s risky plan may lead to disaster deep in the heart of the old mine. There’s plenty of adventure for everyone in this book from the historical Goldtown Adventures middle-grade series for ages 9-13.
Learn more on the GoldtownBooks.com website.
Download the free study guide ➡️
- Grades 4-6
- California gold rush
- Classic comparison: By the Great Horn Spoon
A five-to-six-week unit study for Tunnel of Gold. Vocabulary, comprehension, thought questions, writing skills, plus history topics related to the California gold rush.
- Grades 4-6
- Hardrock mining
- Make a miner’s stove
- Gold or fool’s gold?
- Gold in the Bible
- Transcontinental railroad
- Branding and create a brand
- And more!