Emily's Fortune »

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is best known as the author of Shiloh, winner of the Newbery Award, but many readers have followed her boy/girl battle series, which begins with The Boys Start the War and The Girls Get Even. Naylor's previous book for Delacorte Press, Faith, Hope, and Ivy June, centers on a girl living in Kentucky coal country.

From Newbery Award winner Phyllis Reynolds Naylor comes a witty tale of the Wild West filled with comical cliffhangers and featuring a cast of plucky orphans and dastardly villains.
 
Emily Wiggins is poor and timid, without a drop of self-confidence. When she is unexpectedly orphaned, she is left all alone except for her turtle, Rufus.
 
What in blinkin' bloomers should Emily do?
 
Emily's neighbors, Mrs. Ready, Mrs. Aim, and Mrs. Fire, have the answer: Emily must travel by stagecoach to the home of her honorable aunt Hilda.
 
What a rootin' tootin' grand idea!
 
But Miss Catchum of the Catchum Child-Catching Services will get a big bonus for delivering Emily to her next of kin, the vicious Uncle Victor.
 
How the ding dong dickens will Emily escape Miss Catchum?
 
It will take all the gumption and cunning of fellow orphan and traveler Jackson to help Emily find her confidence, her conniving spirit, and the true reason Uncle Victor wants to claim her.
 
But how in flippin' flapjacks will Emily outsmart Uncle Victor?
 

Children's Literature

Shy little Emily lived a calm, orderly life with her pet turtle Rufus and her mother, who worked for the wealthy Luella Nash. When both women were killed in a carriage accident, Emily was left a frightened orphan. Kind neighbors hustled Emily onto a stagecoach headed for her Aunt Hilda's out west, keeping Emily one step ahead of Catchum Child Catching Services and the odious Miss Catchum. Also in hot pursuit was Emily's villainous Uncle Victor, who was after Emily's inheritance from Miss Nash. Joining Emily on the stagecoach is the feisty orphan Jackson. So begins a rollickin,' rip-roaring adventure complete with cliff hangers and plenty of action, most of which takes place on the stagecoach. Little Emily soon becomes quite the spunky, clever heroine, summoning courage she did not know she had. Kids will be rooting for her all the way. The plot moves along at breakneck speed with phrases like "ding-dong Dickens," "flippin' flapjacks," and "freakin' frazzles" adding to the fun. All in all it is a rootin' tootin' action-packed tale that will appeal to both boys and girls, and would be a sure-fire classroom read aloud. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey