This book would be an excellent historical fictional read to introduce a unit on the Yukon gold rush. Recommended

There are many ways to make your fortune, as a boy and his father serendipitously find when they relocate to the Klondike wilderness during the gold rush. Noah disobeys his father’s wishes by bringing the family cat, Shadow, on the arduous journey to their new home in gold country. There is no room for sentimentality in the Klondike, and Lawson never mentions what has happened to the mother, but she uses other realistic touches such as the kitty disappearing into the ship on the first leg of the trip, creating a believable slice of robust American pioneer history. Mombourquette’s illustrations are broad brushed and colorful, evoking the gritty spirit that opened this last frontier. A lengthy historical note includes a synopsis of the actual history of the territory and era addressed in the story.