When California Morning Whipple's widowed mother uproots her family from their comfortable Massachusetts environs and moves them to a rough mining camp called Lucky Diggins in the Sierras, California Morning resents the upheaval. Desperately wanting to control something in her own life, she decides to be called Lucy, and as Lucy she grows and changes in her strange and challenging new environment. Here Karen Cushman helps the American Gold Rush spring to colorful life.

Well, hats off to Karen Cushman for an intensely realistic gold rush era book -- full of dirt, hardship, boredom, more dirt, and a feisty heroine who just wants a more civilized existence. I'm not sure about the ending, but on the whole I liked the book very much. Lucy's periodic letters to her grandparents add quite a lot of humor. ( )

This is another great slice of historical fiction with engaging, well-developed characters and a fascinating story. Lucy is a strong-headed girl who shuns her name California as the family is uprooted to California during the gold rush. Her account of their hard life in a mining settlement is poignant and comedic. An enjoyable read. ( )

California Whipple moved to the gold fields with her widowed mother and siblings. Her goal was to return to Massachusetts and her grandparents.
Told from the perspective of a twelve year old living in a mining camp this book is look at her life without all the conveniences she was used to back east. Living as one of the few families in the camp, surrounded by miners, Lucy is very unhappy and desires to leave.
This would start discussions among students studying the gold rush era, particularly because Lucy is their age. How does she survive? What choices does she make? Could they be like her? ( )

This book will interest the girls that liked Revolver. After leaving her comfortable east coast home, Lucy struggles to find her place in this unforgiving environment of the rough mining community in California. Set during the time of the Gold Rush, students will gain some history as they read this coming-of-age novel.