Diamond Fever: A True Crime Story in the Wild West
By Steve Sheinkin with art and comics by Jon Chad
Ages 9-13
A fun, high-stakes true crime story story set in the Wild West, featuring spot art and comics throughout. Perfect for fans of MONA LISA VANISHES!
Late one night two travel-weary miners, Philip Arnold and John Slack, show up at a businessman’s office in San Francisco. The miners seem nervous. They’ve got something that needs to be locked in a safe overnight. What is it? Well, that really has to stay secret, but it’s…
DIAMONDS! And lots of them.
Had these two miners just discovered America’s first diamond mine? Well, this is the Gold Rush era after all. Plenty of people are striking it rich. Anything is possible.
When word of the find hits the streets, diamond fever sweeps the country. Wealthy investors are desperate to elbow Arnold and Slack aside and seize control—but can they persuade the miners to reveal the location of their bonanza? At the same time, thousands of prospectors fan out across the mountains and deserts of the West—will one of them find the site before greedy bankers grab everything for themselves?
In this page-turning, high-stakes western adventure, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Steve Sheinkin tells the true story of the Great Diamond Hoax of 1872, a rollicking tale of heists and hijinks, scams and scoundrels—and the last-minute triumph of a most unlikely hero.
About the Author and Illustrator
Steve Sheinkin is the acclaimed author of fast-paced, cinematic nonfiction histories, including Diamond Fever!, Fallout, Undefeated, Born to Fly, The Port Chicago 50, and Bomb. He is also the co-author, with Ruta Sepetys, of the New York Times bestselling middle grade novel, The Bletchley Riddle. His accolades include a Newbery Honor, three Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards, a Sibert Medal and Honor, and three National Book Award finalist honors. He lives in Saratoga Springs, New York, with his wife and two children.
Jon Chad lives in Vermont with his wife and daughter. He is the illustrator of Science Comics: Solar System, and the author of Leo Geo, Science Comics: Volcanoes, Science Comics: The Periodic Table of Elements, and Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball. Jon’s graphic novel series, The Solvers, uses comics, and superhero action, to teach mathematics to young readers. His art is also featured in Steve Sheinkin’s Diamond Fever.
Praise for Diamond Fever
★ “A rollicking—and well-researched—adventure story… A sparkling accomplishment. ” —Kirkus Reviews
★ “Jon Chad adds an unusual visual element to Sheinkin’s rip-roaring account of the brief but intense national furor sparked by the reported discovery of a supposed diamond field in 1870. . . A breathless, dramatic tale tidily wrapped up with a set of capsule biographies.” – Booklist
★ “A rollicking caper that offers historical hijinks and freewheeling fun in spades.” —Publishers Weekly
★ “A compelling story of bold lies, pervasive deal-making, and surprising gullibility. Reading like a crime novel, readers will eagerly turn the pages looking for answers. . . VERDICT A must-purchase for collections where true crime and nearly unbelievable historical tales are popular.” —School Library Journal