Jake Bannock appears to be an orphan at the age of twelve. Jim Ugly is Jake's father's wolflike dog. The boy and the dog follow an adventure-filled trail of diamonds, bounty hunters, and theater actresses. The trail takes Jake and Jim Ugly from a small chicken farm in Nevada to a mining town in the High Sierras, to Sacramento, California. The book opens with Jake hiding in tall weeds in the desert.
Most people think of the desert as a flat, sandy place with only cactuses.
Develop a visual to show the variety of desert scenery that the author could have used. Write in your reading journal about the importance of setting to this story. On page 2, Jake wonders if birds of prey grieve. Jake's story takes place in 1894. Include people, what they did for a living, transportation, communication, recreational activities, plants and animals, and weather.