- an 11-year-old boy finds himself swept under a mountain by rough water
- stuck in underground caves, with many injuries, he perseveres and learns to be resourceful
- convo: a few deaths are described
- language: x1 “G*d in heaven” as a curse
Type: chapter book
Ages: 9-12
Author: N.D. Wilson
The tension level of this adventurous story was close to perfect for the intended age group. I only raised their recommended “8-12” to “9-12” based on my own anecdotal experience. If your 8-year-old is close to nine, it’s probably pretty safe; however, I’d be comfortable dropping that to “8-12” if it was being read aloud. There are bad guys, fights, and suspense, but it’s quite clean and has a wonderful ending–not to mention, rumors of treasure in the mountain!
Speaking of treasure, this would make a great addition to curriculum studying archeology, ancient cultures, or even caves.
On a personal note, I’ve had trouble jiving with Wilson’s books in the past, but that all but disappeared with this one. I truly enjoyed it.