Precious Gold, Precious Jade

by Sharon E. Heisel

Book Overview

Angelena is eager to make friends with Leeana, the new girl in her class. But Angelena has always lived in Oregon, and Leeana has just moved there from China. Soon the two girls find they have a lot in common. But other members of their small Oregon mining town do not adjust as easily to newcomers. In spite of the tension and violence surrounding them, the girls establish a special friendship.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823414329
• ISBN13: 9780823414321
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: Holiday House
• Length: 186 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

My review

This book is a very good book. I really enjoyed it. Sometimes it could be a bit boring but it alwayz got better later. I would definately recommend this book to other kids. I wish there were pictures in this book though because sometimes I am not so sure what a part is supposed to look like. I have a paperback version of the book. I think the cover is better than the hardback one because the girls are prettier. I really liked reading this book, you should read it too.

terrific taste of real-life history

This book gave me a chance to visit a time about which I've seen very little comment, and opens a diaglogue about the many faces of racism and how they affect a family and a community. I very much enjoyed the inclusion of the old phrases -- they made the whole story seem genuine and they set the scene admirably. I also felt that someone who would find (and correctly use) the old phrases probably did a good research job on the rest of the book. This book should be a real eye-opener for kids today, in such areas of racism, friendship between races, older mores and lifestyles, and how language changes over the years. The storyline is believable and the entire book is filled with tidbits that kept me reading long past my bedtime.

Age old problems

Precious Gold, Precious Jade is a tale of the age old problems of racism, prejudice, and intolerance as faced by young people and their families in the gold rush days of the mid 1800's. The remarkable use of the language of the time provides the reader with a rare glimpse into the past. The book could serve as a useful tool in opening a discussion with youth of current problems in America and ways of dealing with them. Very enjoyable reading.

Interesting take on the Asian Amercan experience

This is a very interesting book following the difficult friendship between two young girls living during the Gold Rush. The fact that one girl is of Western European descent and the other is of Chinese descent makes this a very complicated friendship. This novel looks at rascism from a new perspective. It is also an interesting take on frontier life for women. The only downside of this book is that there is a slightly affected accent and odd placement of colloquialisms that can be distracting.