Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Janet Fox to bring you this post and giveaway.
Middle school can be hard. New friends plus personal changes and add in fighting and possibly splitting up parents and you have a very hard time. Today I get to share a middle grades book full of a mystery, adventure, friendships, family relationships and more. The book is The Mystery of Mystic Mountain by Janet Fox.
About the Book:
The Mystery of Mystic Mountain Written by Janet FoxAges: 11-14 | 288 Pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books (2024) | ISBN: 9781665956666
Publisher’s Book Summary: A girl tackles a summer filled with mystery, treasure, and learning to be her true self in this middle grade adventure that’s a modern-day Holes set on a dusty dude ranch in Montana.
Becca Soloway’s perfect summer goes up in smoke when her mom flees a looming divorce by dragging Becca to a Montana resort. To make matters worse, her mom’s hasty booking lands them not at a spa, but an aging dude ranch called Far Away.
Becca is miserable until she meets the wrangler’s son, Jon, who shows her what might be the first clue to a century-old mystery: the lost treasure of a Robin Hood–like outlaw known as Pearlhandle Pete.
As they slowly uncover the true history of Pete, venture into the mountains, search haunted ghost towns, and are threatened by a treasure-hunter-social-media star, Becca discovers that treasure is in the eye of the beholder and the important things in life are always worth fighting for.
Publisher’s Book Summary: A girl tackles a summer filled with mystery, treasure, and learning to be her true self in this middle grade adventure that’s a modern-day Holes set on a dusty dude ranch in Montana.
Becca Soloway’s perfect summer goes up in smoke when her mom flees a looming divorce by dragging Becca to a Montana resort. To make matters worse, her mom’s hasty booking lands them not at a spa, but an aging dude ranch called Far Away.
Becca is miserable until she meets the wrangler’s son, Jon, who shows her what might be the first clue to a century-old mystery: the lost treasure of a Robin Hood–like outlaw known as Pearlhandle Pete.
As they slowly uncover the true history of Pete, venture into the mountains, search haunted ghost towns, and are threatened by a treasure-hunter-social-media star, Becca discovers that treasure is in the eye of the beholder and the important things in life are always worth fighting for.
Purchase Links:
Janet Fox is an award-winning author with a deep passion for the magic of storytelling. Her writing journey began at age 8 with a poem published in the town newspaper, setting the stage for a career dedicated to writing captivating tales for young readers.
As a writer, Janet strives to create books to help grow young hearts and minds. Her 12 award-winning books span the spectrum of picture books through young adult, in a broad variety of genres.
As a mentor and book coach with 25 years in publishing, Janet’s mission is to guide writers through the twists and turns of their creative odyssey, turning struggles into triumphs. She has helped scores of writers achieve their dream of writing, revising, and, yes, publishing their children’s books.
For more information, check out janetsfox.com.
Social Links
About the Author:
Janet Fox is an award-winning author with a deep passion for the magic of storytelling. Her writing journey began at age 8 with a poem published in the town newspaper, setting the stage for a career dedicated to writing captivating tales for young readers.
As a writer, Janet strives to create books to help grow young hearts and minds. Her 12 award-winning books span the spectrum of picture books through young adult, in a broad variety of genres.
As a mentor and book coach with 25 years in publishing, Janet’s mission is to guide writers through the twists and turns of their creative odyssey, turning struggles into triumphs. She has helped scores of writers achieve their dream of writing, revising, and, yes, publishing their children’s books.
For more information, check out janetsfox.com.
Social Links
From Me:
Becca is having a hard summer. Her life just seemed to be getting good when her mom whisks her away from her Connecticut home to a dude ranch that they thought was a spa ranch. Her new popular friends had just helped her get a job at the country club where the cute boy who seems to like her is a member as are the new friends, but now she is away for a month. Her parents have been fighting. Could this trip mean they are breaking up? Her bff doesn't like the new friends and the new friends are pretty mean to her. Becca needs to figure out her life. She needs to decide who she wants to be. She needs to figure out what is going on with her parents and why her mom is being so distant at the ranch. Her summer seems ruined, and the dude ranch is not where she wants to be until son of one of the wranglers brings her into solving a mystery with him. It allows her to time to get her mind off her problems and discover who she really is.
I love this book. The story pulls you right in and the mystery is interesting. Each of the players has their own secrets. They each are trying to figure out their own lives and discover that working together is much better than by themselves. Through solving the mystery, they become friends and find themselves. This is a story kids will find interesting and enjoy reading. It takes kids away from their technology and out into nature. The dude ranch itself has spotty internet service, so they have to find other ways to entertain themselves. The story shows fun without their technology. This book is perfect for middle schoolers who love mysteries as well as ones who like history. It has many different things to think about and perhaps discuss if the book is chosen to be read for a class. The kids each share their own life issues from losing a parent to the parents splitting up and figuring out friendship as well as coming of age. I hope you will check it out!
Giveaway:
Enter the giveaway for your chance to win a signed hardcover copy of The Mystery of Mystic Mountain, some fun swag, and a signed copy of Carry Me Home! Good luck!
