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Boom Town
In the sequel to Nine for California, Amanda, in search of some excitement in her boring California mining town, finds a way to bake a pie without a real oven.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1998
19 people are currently reading
322 people want to read
About the author
Sonia Levitin
63 books40 followersSonia Levitin is a German-American novelist, artist, producer, Holocaust Survivor, and author of over forty novels and picture books for young adults and children, as well as several theatrical plays and published essays on various topics for adults. Her book Incident at Loring Groves won an Edgar Allan Poe Award.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 1, 2017
I love this book for two reasons. One: a little girl is the hero who helps to make the town. Two: we learn that everyone can make a difference and work together to make the town a great place to be.
July 24, 2020
First sentence: It took us twenty-one days on the stagecoach to get to California. When we got there, I thought we'd live with Pa in the gold fields. A whole tent city was built up. But Ma shook her head. "The gold fields are no place for children. We'll get a cabin and live in town." What town? A stage stop, a pump house, a few log cabins--that was all. It was so wide and lonesome out west, even my shadow ran off.
Premise/plot: Amanda is our DETERMINED heroine. She has made up her mind that she will figure out a way to bake pies--even if she does only have an iron skillet and an old stove to work with! And her determination may just be the start of a boom town!
This one is loosely based on a fascinating fact, a foot note of history: there really was a young lady who learned to improvise baking pies on a small iron skillet and earned $11,000 with her pie business!
My thoughts: I liked this one. If I'd known it was a companion to another book, I would have gotten that one as well. It's titled Nine for California. I imagine that I would have appreciated both books better for having a more complete story.
Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10
Premise/plot: Amanda is our DETERMINED heroine. She has made up her mind that she will figure out a way to bake pies--even if she does only have an iron skillet and an old stove to work with! And her determination may just be the start of a boom town!
This one is loosely based on a fascinating fact, a foot note of history: there really was a young lady who learned to improvise baking pies on a small iron skillet and earned $11,000 with her pie business!
My thoughts: I liked this one. If I'd known it was a companion to another book, I would have gotten that one as well. It's titled Nine for California. I imagine that I would have appreciated both books better for having a more complete story.
Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10
April 27, 2019
A lot can get accomplished when people work together.
March 4, 2023
The first story I read about these characters was called Taking Charge which was an amazing story with plenty of humor! How fun to follow the same characters in several more children’s picture books as they travel west and adjust to life there!
xx-dnf-skim-reference
October 29, 2023Read in a school textbook (LFL find). Not sure how much it's redesigned or abridged, so can't rate. Found it unsatisfying, implausible.
Oct. 2023
Oct. 2023
December 16, 2025
This is a delightful book with sweet illustrations that bring this time period to life.
May 6, 2015
I loved this story about a young girl that moved to California during the gold rush. I like the way the author portrayed real events that happened, and explained how boom towns were created. The story line was cute and made it easy to understand boom towns. I liked how it all started with Amanda's pie shop and then many new businesses formed around it.
This could be read aloud to discuss the California gold rush during a history class. The book does a good job of explaining why so many people moved to California and what life looked like there. The book would also help children understand how boom towns start as empty towns and then grow quickly. This happened because so many people moved to California at the same time.
This would be a good independent read for someone that is interested in history, or a very determined young girl. This story shows how one little girl can make a huge difference in a community. They would enjoy the story line and how Amanda influences so many people.
I like that this book has a historical note at the end. This note explains what exactly was happening at the time of the gold rush. This would help teachers and students better understand the story.
This could be read aloud to discuss the California gold rush during a history class. The book does a good job of explaining why so many people moved to California and what life looked like there. The book would also help children understand how boom towns start as empty towns and then grow quickly. This happened because so many people moved to California at the same time.
This would be a good independent read for someone that is interested in history, or a very determined young girl. This story shows how one little girl can make a huge difference in a community. They would enjoy the story line and how Amanda influences so many people.
I like that this book has a historical note at the end. This note explains what exactly was happening at the time of the gold rush. This would help teachers and students better understand the story.
July 14, 2015
I read this book aloud to 1st graders. Another Sonia Levin book, "Nine for California", is effectively a prequel to this story but either or both can stand alone.
Boom Town is great when students are learning about different jobs and does a good job of explaining how towns developed. The main character is a young girl who is determined to make a pie but has no proper oven or pans to do so because the conveniences of eastern cities were left behind when she came west to the California gold fields with her family. She manages to make pies in a wood stove using an old skillet and it turns out the miners like her pies and are willing to pay for them. She convinces a traveling peddler to setup a store which draws people who need a place to stay so she convinces other people to setup other businesses. One thing leads to another and before you know it, a whole boom town has developed. And it all started from a girl baking a pie.
The story is based on a real young girl who made a fortune in the gold fields by baking pies for miners in an old skillet.
Boom Town is great when students are learning about different jobs and does a good job of explaining how towns developed. The main character is a young girl who is determined to make a pie but has no proper oven or pans to do so because the conveniences of eastern cities were left behind when she came west to the California gold fields with her family. She manages to make pies in a wood stove using an old skillet and it turns out the miners like her pies and are willing to pay for them. She convinces a traveling peddler to setup a store which draws people who need a place to stay so she convinces other people to setup other businesses. One thing leads to another and before you know it, a whole boom town has developed. And it all started from a girl baking a pie.
The story is based on a real young girl who made a fortune in the gold fields by baking pies for miners in an old skillet.
June 13, 2012
When Amanda's family moves to California for the gold rush, Amanda isn't sure how to occupy herself. There isn't much to do in the "town" that only has a few buildings. Amanda loves to bake so after finding a skillet she decides to try to bake a pie. After a few tries she has success.
Eventually Amanda's pies become so popular that she has to open a shop. Along the way she has encouraged other people to open a trading post, livery, apothecary, cobbler and barber, among many other buildings. By the end of the book, Amanda's adopted town is truly a "Boom Town."
More of a lesson type book to be used when teaching about the California Gold Rush. Not a great read-aloud for fun story as it is quite dull.
Eventually Amanda's pies become so popular that she has to open a shop. Along the way she has encouraged other people to open a trading post, livery, apothecary, cobbler and barber, among many other buildings. By the end of the book, Amanda's adopted town is truly a "Boom Town."
More of a lesson type book to be used when teaching about the California Gold Rush. Not a great read-aloud for fun story as it is quite dull.
August 20, 2012
I thought it was really cool because it was a little girl and she started a town by baking some pies because she just wanted to eat a pie one day. And so she sent one with her dad and then the miners bought it from him and then she started a business and people started buying some pies. And then some people came along and she said you can start this business--it would be a really great business for you... people need it and I need it, and it would be really great for you and people would really use it. It was a really great thing. And so it was called Boom Town because at first there was no noise at all, and then all of sudden there was tons and tons and tons of noise! So it was really great book.
Mom's note: This is a great book for an entrepreneur class.
Mom's note: This is a great book for an entrepreneur class.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2013
Boom Town is the perfect picture book to read when discussing economics in class. This book is about a young girl, Amanda, and her family who travel to California so her Pa could work in the gold fields. While Pa was away, Amanda and her family were often bored, that is until Amanda started baking pies. Amanda’s pies were quickly becoming well known and soon men were coming right to their home to purchase a pie. With the increase in demand, Amanda needed to hire her brothers to help out. Amanda also encouraged others’ to form businesses and soon their small town was booming. This book takes place during the Gold Rush and was inspired by the real “Amanda.”
June 13, 2009
This picture book is the first of a stack of books I'm reading--books for kids about California history. This one is a sequel of sorts to the same author's Nine for California, about the trip west for a resourceful mother and her children. This one tells about how one daughter helped start a town. Breezy, cute.
September 28, 2011
This is a delightful book depicting California's historical boom! I was surprised that this book was even based on an actual little girl that sold $11,000 worth of pies. The illustrations are marvelous and the story, besides the bit of history that is captured, sets the stage for budding entrepeneurs. Quite lovely.
April 17, 2015
Illustrated fiction k-gr 4
California 1800s. Amanda and her family move west to join their father who is searching for gold. One of the things Amanda misses from their old home is pie. After a few tries, she is able to make pie without an oven and begins selling them to everyone. As she meets more people she convinces people to stay and a real town begins to form.
California 1800s. Amanda and her family move west to join their father who is searching for gold. One of the things Amanda misses from their old home is pie. After a few tries, she is able to make pie without an oven and begins selling them to everyone. As she meets more people she convinces people to stay and a real town begins to form.
April 14, 2012
This book is about a family that is moving out west because the father is working with a group to find gold. It is based off of the the Gold Rush, and the westward expansion. The young girl, Amanda, is bored with their new life out west and finds unique ways to cope with her boredom.
October 22, 2012
Perfect book to help teach a history lesson on the growth of towns due to the gold rush. This book also is perfect for motivating students that they can do anything that they set their minds to. Great book!
July 8, 2013
Amanda's family moves to a small tent town in California. She gets bored and decides to make gooseberry pies. Soon, all the people in town and those passing through are buying her pies. More and more people come to the town and stay, making businesses and helping the town become prosperous.
April 23, 2010
Normally I would not add a children's book (normally I wouldn't read a children's book) but this was cute and I want to remember it
Read
December 20, 2010This State of Mine - unit 6
Leveled Books - Intermediate
Leveled Books - Intermediate
September 5, 2015
Read many times with third graders. Cute story, and I love pie!
January 23, 2016
And it all started with homemade pies.
Want to read
May 18, 2017I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14550813
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14550813
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews