Treasure on Superstition Mountain

Starred review from December 3, 2012
Broach builds on the daring escapades and eerie tension established in Missing on Superstition Mountain as Henry, Simon, and Jack Barker; their friend Delilah; and Josie the cat surreptitiously explore century-old mysteries while searching for
rumored gold. Two weeks after the children’s hair-raising escape from Arizona’s Superstition Mountain, during which they unearthed a treasure map and a gold nugget, the young adventurers—undeterred by Delilah’s broken leg, their parents’ admonishments, and anonymous warnings—are more determined than ever both to find a hidden gold mine and discover who is trying to stop them. The Barker parents, believing the children have learned their lesson, leave them in the care of the boys’ adored but easily distracted Aunt Kathy. A visit to a ghost town, the spine-tingling discovery that the creepy town librarian has strange connections to her namesake (Caparo’s illustration of the long-dead Julia Thomas alone evokes chills), encounters with rattlesnakes, and terrifying rockslides combine to thrilling effect in this stellar sequel. Readers will be eager for the next installment. Ages 9–12. Agent: Edward Necarsulmer IV, McIntosh & Otis. Illustrator’s agent: Shannon Associates.

December 15, 2012
The Barker brothers (Jack, Henry and Simon, ages 6, 10 and 11) encounter new adventures on Superstition Mountain in this second page turner. The action resumes two weeks after the first tale's events (Missing on Superstition Mountain, 2011). After the boys' friend Delilah, in a walking cast after her canyon fall, rejoins them after their grounding, they pore over the secret artifacts they'd brought down the mountain: a bag of old silver coins and a mysterious map. Among the coins, they discover a gold nugget, which stokes their shared curiosity about the legendary Lost Dutchman's Mine and the colorful locals who once worked it--and those seemingly, mysteriously bent on its rediscovery. The children revisit the local library, explore an old ghost town and puzzle over the scanty but intriguing clues they assemble. When the boys' vivacious, flighty Aunt Kathy arrives to mind them during their parents' anniversary getaway, the foursome mounts another clandestine foray into the foreboding mountain's secret canyon to search for the mine. But someone--or something--seems equally intent on scaring them away. Impulsive young Jack provides believably humorous moments. Combining cliffhanging chapter ends, sinister messages, a creepy librarian, Henry's thoughtful internal monologues and the danger of unsupervised adventures in the Arizona landscape, this is a worthy second in Broach's appealing series. Best enjoyed after the first, this absorbing, old-fashioned adventure will make readers eager for the next installment. (Mystery/adventure. 8-12)

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