The Mystery of Mystic Mountain

Gr 4-7–An adventure story that keeps readers guessing. Becca’s summer plans are not working out. She would rather stay home to spend time with her new friend, the ­ever-popular Kasie, and the cute boy who just started noticing her, instead of joining her mom on a girls’ trip to a spa resort. When they arrive to find that her mom booked the wrong place, the disasters keep coming. Far Away dude ranch has no Wi-Fi signal so she can keep in touch with her friends or her dad (she wonders if he even misses them). The clothing she brought was meant for a spa, not a ranch. Things begin to change when Becca opens up and makes new friends, and together they tackle a treasure hunt that requires them to solve puzzles, and for each of them, grow a sense of self. Fox deftly weaves a high interest plot with facets of young people’s real lives. Solving treasure puzzles isn’t something one gets to do every day, but trying to figure out who you are, and who your true friends are, is a universal experience. ­Readers will connect with at least one of the many characters who are uncomfortable with themselves and, perhaps, also find ways to come to appreciate who they are.