Elise Broach does an excellent job of weaving together various legends about the Superstition Mountains just outside of Phoenix, Arizona-- including the one about the Lost Dutchman Mine. Children will be reading an exciting tale of adventure, but they'll also be absorbing the deeper subjects of history, friendship, and exploration.

When this book was offered to me, I wasn't told that it was a children's book, but since it is a mystery, and it is set right in my own backyard, it didn't make much difference. What impressed me was how much I enjoyed reading it, and how much it reminded me of similar books I read when I was a child. Simon, Henry, and Jack are following in the footsteps of the Hardy Boys, and it was wonderful to read about four children who were off on their bikes exploring and not cooped up inside enslaved to electronics. In fact, they're only on the computer once for a brief time in the entire book.

Since this is the first book in a trilogy, it will be interesting to see how the characters and the story develop. Simon is the responsible older brother with just a touch of the know-it-all. Jack is the extremely annoying little brother his siblings wish they could leave behind, and Henry as the middle brother feels a bit like a misfit. The story is mostly told from his point of view, so we get to know him best. Delilah? She's the first friend the boys have made in Superstition, and even though she's a girl, she's a big help and can't be left behind. The parents are there behind the scenes. They're busy keeping the bills paid so the boys can have adventures.

It's obvious that this is the first book in a trilogy because little plot threads are left dangling. I'm convinced Josie the cat knows a lot more than she's admitting, and what about the behavior of the local librarian? Is she hiding something? And there was definitely something odd about those tombstones in the cemetery!

If it sounds as though I was hooked after reading Missing on Superstition Mountain, I was. I'm looking forward to seeing what those four get up to next. ( )

Quick read. Great historical facts wound throughout it line. ( )

It's the beginning of the summer when brothers Simon, Henry and Jack Barker move from Chicago to Superstition, Arizona. Their eccentric Uncle Hank Cormody has recently passed away, and the boys' family takes up residence in his house which backs onto the mysterious Superstition Mountain. Though the boys' parents are firm in warning them not to climb the mountain, one afternoon they sneak away and head up the mountain in search of their cat, Josie. As the boys search for Josie, they begin to feel the mountain has its own aura, one that is entirely unfriendly. They are especially spooked when they find three human skulls sitting in a row on a ledge, and they quickly decide to leave the mountain alone with its secrets. In the following days, however, the boys and their neighbor, Delilah, become increasingly captivated by the mountain, and they set out to learn more about its mysteries. What the children uncover causes them to decide to revisit the montain to retrieve the three skulls. But do the children take their own lives in their hands by climbing the unforgiving Superstition Mountain a second time? Both children and teens will want to read this first book in Elise Broach's series to find out the boys' fates ( )

It's the beginning of the summer when brothers Simon, Henry and Jack Barker move from Chicago to Superstition, Arizona. Their eccentric Uncle Hank Cormody has recently passed away, and the boys' family takes up residence in his house which backs onto the mysterious Superstition Mountain. Though the boys' parents are firm in warning them not to climb the mountain, one afternoon they sneak away and head up the mountain in search of their cat, Josie. As the boys search for Josie, they begin to feel the mountain has its own aura, one that is entirely unfriendly. They are especially spooked when they find three human skulls sitting in a row on a ledge, and they quickly decide to leave the mountain alone with its secrets. In the following days, however, the boys and their neighbor, Delilah, become increasingly captivated by the mountain, and they set out to learn more about its mysteries. What the children uncover causes them to decide to revisit the montain to retrieve the three skulls. But do the children take their own lives in their hands by climbing the unforgiving Superstition Mountain a second time? Both children and teens will want to read this first book in Elise Broach's series to find out the boys' fates. ( )

This is a good adventure book to recommend to middle elementary readers. The Barker boys have just moved to Superstition, Arizona, near Superstition Mountain. However, they have been sternly warned not to go to the mountain. It's clear to the boys that the adults are hiding something about what has happened on the mountain. When they see their cat take off for the mountain, they find their excuse to see what has the adults so spooked and they chase the cat without telling their parents. The youngest boy, Jack, falls, lands on a ledge, and finds three human skulls. Once home, they begin a secret investigation and find out that numerous people have disappeared on the mountain or been found shot or decapitated. In addition, it seems that there's treasure hiding somewhere on the mountain. They decide, with their new friend Delilah, to find the skulls and bring them back to the authorities. Kids will enjoy the intrigue and the author manages to find the right balance of scary without being too scary. ( )