Author: Mary Morgan
Illustrator: Dawn McVay Baumer
Since I have lived in Michigan my whole life, I was intrigued by this book about Pictured Rocks National Park. I love visiting Pictured Rocks with its beautiful sandstone cliffs, waterfalls, hiking trails, and sand dunes. It is also well known for being the site of several notable shipwrecks. Items have occasionally floated ashore from these wrecks.
“Stolen Treasure at Pictured Rocks” tells the story of the Cooper family from Lansing, MI who have chosen this National Park for their summer vacation. Twins, Ben and Bekka, have plans for finding treasures and taking lots of pictures of the unique landscape and wild life. Before long, the two meet a new friend, Eli, who is on a kayaking trip with his dad. Family fun, campfire dinners, learning to kayak, and roasting “s’mores” become a shared adventure.
While Ben, Bekka, and Eli explore Miner’s Castle, go kayaking, and observe many birds and animals in the park, they also find a trio of mysterious men and before long the Cooper family becomes involved in some fast moving, serious action. The family is in danger when the men realize they have been discovered.
“Stolen Treasure at Pictured Rocks” is a great read for 3rd grade and up. Filled with suspense, mystery, and plenty of facts about the area and its history, this story also would be a good family read aloud choice. The black and white illustrations throughout the book help younger readers stay engaged and add a humorous touch. Readers will also enjoy the added features including recipes for hobo dinners, “The Song of Hiawatha” poem, a graphic showing the Semaphore Alphabet used to send messages, and additional facts about Lake Superior and her shipwrecks.
Is the book well written? Yes. This series is written by a Michigan author and published by a small Michigan based publisher. The appearance of the book didn’t impress me at first but I enjoyed the story. It is fast paced, the dialogue and interactions between the characters are realistic, and I enjoyed the extra tidbits of facts about Pictured Rocks woven into the story.
Are the characters well developed, realistic, and relatable? Yes.
Does the book present positive role models? Yes, the parents are portrayed as loving and responsible. The park rangers present a good representation of authority figures.
Does this book include language or lifestyles in conflict with the teachings of Scripture? No, I found no issues. Characters treated one another respectfully, stealing was clearly portrayed as wrong, and language was appropriate.
This book can be purchased at Amazon (I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you when you purchase using this link.)
Mary Morgan has additional books in this series which can be found at her website: https://www.nationalparkmysteries.com/books
