Author
Sid Fleischman
2 books here
Humbug Mountain
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 760L · 1978
A sharp, genuinely funny Gold Rush adventure where the kid protagonist outsmarts older con men; Fleischman's dry humor and period detail feel earned rather than cutesy.
The Whipping Boy
Chapter book · ages 8–12 · 700L · 1986
A Newbery that actually deserved it — adventure plot that carries real moral weight, two protagonists who earn their redemption, and a vocabulary stretch without feeling didactic.