Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine

I am so thrilled to introduce today one of my most-anticipated reads for 2017: Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine, by Caroline Starr Rose.

Here's a description from the publisher:

Hoping to strike it rich, two brothers escape an abusive father and set out on a treacherous journey to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush. 
Desperate to get away from their drunkard of a father, eleven-year-old Jasper and his older brother Melvin often talk of running away, of heading north to Alaska to chase riches beyond their wildest dreams. The Klondike Gold Rush is calling, and Melvin has finally decided the time to go is now even if that means leaving Jasper behind. But Jasper has other plans, and follows his brother aboard a steamer as a stowaway. 
Onboard the ship, Jasper overhears a rumor about One-Eyed Riley, an old coot who's long since gone, but is said to have left clues to the location of his stake, which still has plenty of gold left. The first person to unravel the clues and find the mine can stake the claim and become filthy rich. Jasper is quick to catch gold fever and knows he and Melvin can find the mine all they have to do is survive the rough Alaskan terrain, along with the steep competition from the unscrupulous and dangerous people they encounter along the way. 
In an endearing, funny, pitch-perfect middle grade voice, Caroline Starr Rose tells another stellar historical adventure young readers will long remember.

Jasper has everything I love in a book: heart, humor, a character you can't help but root for, a brilliant setting, and beautiful writing.

A little exuberant digression on the setting, if you don't mind: the setting of the Klondike Gold Rush was really cool. There aren't enough books set there/then, if you ask me, although I highly recommend the non-fiction Call of the Klondike, by David Meissner, which Caroline Starr Rose also references. There's so much neat history, so many exciting stories, plus the inherent drama of the need to survive. This is one that every twelve-year-old boy is going to want to get his hands on.

And then there's Jasper. Jasper is a boy who never, ever gives up, who's not afraid of hard work, whose love for his family outlasts any injustices--real or imagined--that he might suffer at their hands. In a rather difficult season of my life, Jasper was just what I needed. He inspired me to keep pursuing my dreams--and, best of all, he kept me laughing while doing so. Where would we be without the fictional heroes that remind us of what's true and good in life?

Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine will be out in stores on February 7, but Caroline is offering some really neat pre-order giveaways, so you should do yourself a favor and order it now!

And for more marvelous middle grade reads, visit Shannon Messenger's Blog!