Sheinkin, Steve. Diamond Fever!: A True Crime Story in the Wild West. Jon Chad, Illus. Roaring Brook, 05/2026. 256pp. Nonfiction. Trade $18.99. 978-1-250-26574-6. GRADES 4–8. OUTSTANDING.
Sheinkin has done it again, delivering a beautifully-written, fast-paced, cinematic true story packed with fascinating historic details. Gold fever had ebbed, fortunes had been made, and San Francisco was a boom town in 1870 when two small-time miners stepped into the office of an investor, needing his safe to store a sack that must be locked up and keep secret. Poured out on the desk were a pile of rough stones—diamonds! Chad’s deft, greyscale cartoons engage and ground readers. A visual cast of characters helps keep the complex story straight, and multi-page comics introduce each of the six parts of the story. Sheinken’s exemplary research and framing deliver both a rip-roaring adventure and the momentous moments in U.S. history that set the stage for diamond fever. Readers learn how the transcontinental railroad, the mapping of the frontier, and the glittering Gilded Age were all essential to the diamond-hunting frenzy that gripped the country. Back matter includes an epilogue, author’s note, source notes, and bibliography. Most characters are white, but African Americans and Native Americans are part of the story. Includes California-specific content. Review based on an ARC.
Melissa McAvoy—Retired