With the California Gold Rush reaching a feverish peak, it was up to child performers called “Fairy Stars” to keep the miners entertained. As adventurers from all over the world spent hours scouring the land for gold, the children would dance, sing, and act to raise spirits and money—and the most successful among them was Lotta Crabtree. At just eight years old, the precocious girl won hearts across the world with her extraordinary talent for comedy and grew to be one of the wealthiest and most beloved American entertainers of the late 19th century. In this unique biography for young readers, follow Lotta’s first years, her struggle to support her family, her spectacular journey to fame by age twenty, and her generous contributions that are still changing lives today.
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