LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| “HE SAT SWINGING HIS BARE FEET OVER THE WATER,” | Frontispiece |
| “IT WAS NOT VERY PLEASANT WORK,” | 39 |
| “SUCH A GLAD MOTHER,” | 102 |
Worth his while
About This Book
A young boy from a poor city family vows to make a country home for his mother and sister and travels to Big Creek to find work. He befriends other pickers, learns the rhythms and hardships of rural labor, and faces a threatening antagonist in the woods. By showing persistence and cleverness he uncovers a lost ring whose discovery brings an unexpected turn, and his actions help set a plan in motion that may secure the family’s longed-for rural life.