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The Secret Valley
A family that moves to California to look for gold fails to find it, but instead discovers a beautiful valley in which to build a farm
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
25 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Clyde Robert Bulla
102 books99 followersBorn to be a Writer
Almost as far back as he can remember, Clyde Robert Bulla wanted to write. Born on a farm in a small town in Missouri, Mr. Bulla's first school was a one-room country schoolhouse. One day his teacher asked each first grade student what he or she would do with a thousand dollars. Young Clyde answered that he would buy a table. His classmates laughed heartily, and his teacher was puzzled. “What I really meant,” says Mr. Bulla, “is a desk or other flat surface on which to write my stories!”
First Stories
Mr. Bulla's first piece of writing was titled, “How Planets Were Born.” The ambitious opening sentence was, “One night old Mother Moon had a million babies.” All through school, Mr. Bulla continued to write stories mostly, but plays and poetry, too. After years of gathering editor's rejection slips, Mr. Bulla sold a magazine story, then several more. Soon after, Mr. Bulla wrote a novel and a publisher accepted it.
The Difficult Years
In the excitement of publishing a novel, Mr. Bulla wrote two more books. Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish them. His luck took a turn for the worse when the publisher of his first book went bankrupt. For several years, he worked at a local weekly newspaper where he struggled with linotype, kept books, collected bills, and wrote a weekly column.
Success!
A couple of Mr. Bulla's weekly columns caught the attention of a well-known author and illustrator of children's books. She wrote to Mr. Bulla, suggesting that he try writing a children's book. He immediately sent her a manuscript for a children's book he'd written a year before. Within one week, an editor of a New York publisher read the manuscript,and it was accepted. The book was The Donkey Cart, published in 1946. Since then, Mr. Bulla has written over twenty books for children, as well as the music for several children's song books.
About The Chalk Box Kid
“When I was young,” explains Mr. Bulla, “I sometimes found it hard to cope in new surroundings, and I was apt to get off on the wrong foot. This is the story of a boy who got off on the wrong foot in a new school and how he tried to cope.” In describing the chalk garden, Mr. Bulla says, “I gave Gregory something I've always wished for: a big, blank wall that I could cover with my own drawings.”
Almost as far back as he can remember, Clyde Robert Bulla wanted to write. Born on a farm in a small town in Missouri, Mr. Bulla's first school was a one-room country schoolhouse. One day his teacher asked each first grade student what he or she would do with a thousand dollars. Young Clyde answered that he would buy a table. His classmates laughed heartily, and his teacher was puzzled. “What I really meant,” says Mr. Bulla, “is a desk or other flat surface on which to write my stories!”
First Stories
Mr. Bulla's first piece of writing was titled, “How Planets Were Born.” The ambitious opening sentence was, “One night old Mother Moon had a million babies.” All through school, Mr. Bulla continued to write stories mostly, but plays and poetry, too. After years of gathering editor's rejection slips, Mr. Bulla sold a magazine story, then several more. Soon after, Mr. Bulla wrote a novel and a publisher accepted it.
The Difficult Years
In the excitement of publishing a novel, Mr. Bulla wrote two more books. Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish them. His luck took a turn for the worse when the publisher of his first book went bankrupt. For several years, he worked at a local weekly newspaper where he struggled with linotype, kept books, collected bills, and wrote a weekly column.
Success!
A couple of Mr. Bulla's weekly columns caught the attention of a well-known author and illustrator of children's books. She wrote to Mr. Bulla, suggesting that he try writing a children's book. He immediately sent her a manuscript for a children's book he'd written a year before. Within one week, an editor of a New York publisher read the manuscript,and it was accepted. The book was The Donkey Cart, published in 1946. Since then, Mr. Bulla has written over twenty books for children, as well as the music for several children's song books.
About The Chalk Box Kid
“When I was young,” explains Mr. Bulla, “I sometimes found it hard to cope in new surroundings, and I was apt to get off on the wrong foot. This is the story of a boy who got off on the wrong foot in a new school and how he tried to cope.” In describing the chalk garden, Mr. Bulla says, “I gave Gregory something I've always wished for: a big, blank wall that I could cover with my own drawings.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
October 26, 2019
This is a real gem. I adore the fact that the cat was the real "Nugget" ;-)
Very nice illustrations- reminiscent of Garth Williams.
Very nice illustrations- reminiscent of Garth Williams.
January 6, 2015
I found pages 19/20 & 23/24 of this book floating around my street on a windy day. When I picked them up to throw them away, I decided to read them first. I was intrigued. It was a children's book I was not familiar with. All I could glean from the pages I found were the names of some of the characters: Frank and Ellen Davis, Father John, and Pete Smith, and the names of some of their animals: Nugget the cat and the horses Spud and Spike. It seemed like a pioneer book. I thought that was plenty to go on for an internet search, but I had no luck at all. I enlisted the help of some real experts, my book club friends. Judging from the type of paper and the illustrations of the 2 pages I had found, they speculated that it might have been a book from the 50's. It was NOT Laura Ingalls Wilder, but it was reminiscent of her style. Thanks to Judy's superior searching skills, she found out that the book was "The Secret Valley" by Clyde Robert Bulla. It wasn't so much about pioneers as it was about the California Gold Rush. I decided to order the book from the library.
This chapter book has fifty old-fashioned illustrations by Grace Paull. Each of the 12 chapters begins with "an original song, simple enough for a beginner to play himself". So says the blurb. I'll let you know about that later. It's well-written in short, declarative sentences. The book clubs girls were off on the date just a little. The copyright date is 1949. I would recommend this book for children who are starting to read chapter books and are interested in U S history. It gives a good feel for what life was like for children in 1849.
Follow-up: I am a real novice at playing the piano and I have to disagree with the blurb. These songs were not simple enough for me to play. Only one, "The Deer", was written in the key of C. I was able to play that one, but I would've needed much practice to be able able to play the others.
This chapter book has fifty old-fashioned illustrations by Grace Paull. Each of the 12 chapters begins with "an original song, simple enough for a beginner to play himself". So says the blurb. I'll let you know about that later. It's well-written in short, declarative sentences. The book clubs girls were off on the date just a little. The copyright date is 1949. I would recommend this book for children who are starting to read chapter books and are interested in U S history. It gives a good feel for what life was like for children in 1849.
Follow-up: I am a real novice at playing the piano and I have to disagree with the blurb. These songs were not simple enough for me to play. Only one, "The Deer", was written in the key of C. I was able to play that one, but I would've needed much practice to be able able to play the others.
July 24, 2024
Too simple for most of the book, but eventually the family faces enough hardships to teach them a valuable lesson. Ending is well-told. But definitely not Bulla's best. LFL find. (glad to be reminded to look for more by Bulla before he's forgotten)
April 18, 2020
My 6 yo said: This book was fun. I’ll add: This book did a good job of depicting the dirtiness of the gold rush and the overall low chance of success. It has a lot of stereotypical depictions, however of Native Americans.
November 22, 2023
A nice early reader full of historical fiction about the California gold rush.
January 11, 2022
I liked the plot of the book and the classic Oregon Trail thrills that came along with this plot, but during several occasions during the story it seems like it skimmed over the plot of the book. I feel like so much more action or dialogue could be fit under the idea in which Clyde Robert Bulla was portraying. The Oregon Trail is a stupidly long and eventful journey, but little time was spent explaining the journey that Ellen, Frank, Mary and Henry Davis took. If I were to critique this book then I would extend that section because i enjoyed the little part that was included so much, but I loved every other aspect of the book.
December 26, 2021
I highly recommend this book for younger elementary children who will enjoy the story of a family who leaves their little cabin on the Missouri river to follow the Gold Rush of 1849. It has the western appeal of the family journeying on a wagon train, then living in a tent city while diligently mining for gold. In addition to learning about a piece of American history, the reader will also learn that all that glitters is not gold. It’s a lesson worth learning – best read with a parent.
October 22, 2025
I do not love all of Clyde Robert Bulla's books but this was a winner. A lovely story of a family of 4 during the California Gold Rush. They encounter many difficulties, the most pressing one being difficulty in finding any gold. There are wonderful descriptions of their life in tent cities, the communities that spring up, their helpfulness and indomitable spirit. Great read aloud for the kindergarten set.
December 19, 2019
Bulla is swiftly becoming a favorite around here, especially for beginner readers. My daughter is fascinated by the stories he tells and the characters he fashions. The Secret Valley follows a westward bound family hoping to strike gold in the hills of California during the gold rush. It is a great read along to accompany history studies of the westward expansion for elementary age students.
June 19, 2020
2.5 stars. Read for my son’s curriculum. Cute story with historical perspective for kids but has some dated stereotypes of Native Americans that I’ll use to discuss the issue with my son when he reads it.
May 15, 2024
Ok I pre-read this one in 15 minutes. It's a very simple read and story about the California Gold Rush for younger elementary aged students. This will be an easy read for a third grader who reads the Harry Potter books.
October 16, 2017
Good book.
January 16, 2018
Good easy reader about a family in the gold rush era.
May 16, 2018
The books about a family gos to California to find gold but they don’t find that much gold but found nice land and grass to play in and a cat named nugget.
October 23, 2020
I liked the gold. It makes me want to go to California. -Owen
March 30, 2021
Read aloud to the kids—they both loved it. Sweet, old-fashioned, simple story about a family during the California gold rush.
July 11, 2021
Read for my son's 3rd-grade homeschool curriculum.
January 10, 2022
It's super nice I like the girl and they are cool!!!
Read
April 23, 2022My grandmother and I read this together.
June 24, 2022
A high three star book.
March 15, 2023
Well-written.
November 1, 2023
My favorite book so far this year!
June 19, 2025
This is a sweet little story set around the California Gold Rush. It is a great step-up from early readers for readers seeking to gain fluency.
November 23, 2016
The Davis family sets out for California in 1849 hoping to strike it rich in the gold fields.
February 18, 2014
Another well-written, easy-to-read, low vocabulary chapter book by the excellent storyteller Clyde Robert Bulla. This book takes us back to the California Gold Rush and a family who travels from the Missouri River to California to become rich. The mom wants a warm cozy home with real glass windows, the daughter wants a garden with good soil where she can grow flowers around the edge and food in the middle, the son wants fields where he can raise sheep and the father wants to find gold to buy all this for his family. There is the hard journey across country, a frightening scare with Indians which turns out to be a friendly gesture at trading, the continued presence of meeting and eating with the natives and finally the hard living in tent city as the father and son discover panning for gold is not the windfall they had expected it to be. But an old man, Father John, gives them directions to Secret Valley where he tells them they will find what they are looking for. When they reach this fertile garden of Eden they find no gold but realize it does have everything they have been searching for. A rewarding story offering the difference between the greed for gold and finding the things you want are sometimes much more simple and closer to hand. As per the time period the illustrations are monochrome and done in sepia tones to match the frontier atmosphere and are lovely realistic drawings.
January 14, 2017
I love Clyde Robert Bulla's books for children transitioning from leveled readers to chapter books. Bulla does something that I think many transitional books don't do very well: he manages to tell a good story while still using simple sentences and vocabulary. Many beginning chapter books fall short in the good story department in my opinion. I find them dull and am often bored to tears listening to my boys try to work their way through them. Bulla's stories are simple, and perhaps a bit old fashioned feeling - almost like a more simply written Little House book, yet his books are so much more entertaining to me (and my boys) than a lot of the newer transitional books. My son read Viking Adventure and Daniel's Duck by Bulla previously. When I told him The Secret Valley was by the same author he immediately picked it up claiming that he was certain he would like this one too. I also appreciate that the kids are getting a brief introduction into part of America's history. If you have a reluctant reader or one who is just starting to read longer books, then you might want to check out one of Bulla's books.
January 29, 2024
When they hear about the gold discovery in California, the Davis family decides to leave their home on the Missouri River. Each family member wants something different- a house with glass windows, a garden with flowers and vegetables, and fields to raise sheep. Mr. Davis knows that finding gold in California will pay for all of these things. So, the family travels by wagon across the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. Along the way, they encounter friendly Indians. In California, the family lives in a tent city while Mr. Davis and his son pan for gold. When they don’t strike it rich, they begin to wonder if their dreams will come true. Then, a kindly old gentleman tells them about a fertile valley that sounds like the Garden of Eden. Travelling to the Secret Valley, the Davis family know they’ve come home.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
January 27, 2024
Clyde Robert Bulla is a great novelist for young readers. His books use imaginary retellings of historic events to teach kids about history in an engaging way. “The Secret Valley” is a story centered on the California gold rush. Mr. and Mrs. Davis, and their kids Frank and Ellen, leave Missouri and travel to California in their covered wagon. They go in search of gold, but find something much better. This book teaches the importance of kindness, and how gold is not the most important thing in the world. It shows kids a glimpse of life on the prairie, and the difficulties people went through in search of a better life. I recommend this to young readers (it is a chapter book), especially in tandem with an American history school curriculum.
January 27, 2025
The book is about a boy and a girl named Frank and Ellen. They go to California but don’t find any gold! Then they go to the secret valley that a man named Father John told them about. They didn’t find any gold in the river, so they were about to go back to the tent city but they found something in the box that Nugget the cat was sent back in. It was a little leather pouch with a note attached. The note said that Polly was giving them something to show how thankful she was. They opened the pouch and found good! There was enough gold to buy the land in the secret valley! My favorite part was when Miss Polly sent them gold.
Carolyn, age 7
Carolyn, age 7
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2012
The South Dayton School of Dance now has two new book clubs.
The Middle School Book Club is reading The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck.
The Primary Book Club is reading The Secret Valley.
When everyone is finished reading the book, we will be holding a book club meeting in Miss Julie's office, drinking hot chocolate, eating donut holes, discussing our book and voting to select the next book we will read.
The Middle School Book Club is reading The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck.
The Primary Book Club is reading The Secret Valley.
When everyone is finished reading the book, we will be holding a book club meeting in Miss Julie's office, drinking hot chocolate, eating donut holes, discussing our book and voting to select the next book we will read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews