Max Elliot Anderson Secret of Abbott’s Cave

Title: Secret of Abbott's Cave

Exciting Read .. Recommended 4 stars

The Review

Randy had forgotten to set out the garbage. As the account begins Randy Wilcox awoke to the reverberation of big trucks rumbling along his road. That was not too unusual an incident in his birthplace of New Market, Virginia. Life has continued pretty much as usual until a new Sunday School teacher arrives at the church Randy attends. The boys' new Sunday School instructor introduces himself in a surprising manner causing the boys to think about people in a different way.

Randy and his buddies; Stewart Adkins, Jeff Stevens and Hal Conti have set up the Hilton Park Road Detective Club with the purpose to be of assistance for solving offenses. Randy and his friends are earnestly anticipating of the delivery of a police scanner that the boys pooled their money to purchase from an Internet site.

As summer vacation continues the members of the Detective Club are waiting for the scanner to lead them to crimes to work out, attend a class on cave safety, search the Internet to find out what they can concerning caves dotting the vicinity where they live, learn that a nearby bank has been robbed and make the decision to go camping near Abbott's Cave on land belonging to one of the boys' uncles. The boys know they are in for quite an adventure; while on the campout the boys discover bank robbers and the stolen money.

Novelist Anderson has created an action packed, easily read, high adventure work of fiction certain to delight middle grade readers. Anderson appears to know his audience well, boys in this age group often withdraw from books in favor of exploits and bustle. Secret of Abbott's Cave is a volume I will take to my classroom, 4th grade, with the anticipation that the milieu and storyline will tow disinclined readers into the action. Valor, life lessons, principles and potential for conduct are offered in a non-preachy approach.

Few schoolboys in the 10 -12 age crowd are not mesmerized with police officers and crime solving, hardly any do not view themselves as larger than life. Writer Anderson's excitement filled page turner is overflowing with power, grit and purpose as the thieves pursue the boys through the grotto, discover themselves outmaneuvered by the boys and eventually face justice.

Anderson keeps the exploits moving. Quick-paced discussion, combined with cleverly fashioned action scenes generate a sure crowd pleaser for the middle grades target audience. Anderson's control of verbal communication draws the booklover into the text and holds attention from the initial paragraphs as Randy awakens at home in his own bed right down to the last lines as Randy chats about what true heroism is and how he can help honor true heroes; the emergency workers, who labor to keep us all out of harm's way each day.

Kids will take pleasure in having the list of 10-Codes and Fire Signals included on the last pages of the book.

Secret of Abbott's Cave is a brilliant choice for the classroom, individual reading inventory as well as both school and home libraries.

Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.

I was a sent a soft cover edition for review.

Reviewed by: molly martin

http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mollymartin

http://www.AuthorsDen.com/mjhollingshead

20+ years California classroom teacher

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Author: Max Elliot Anderson

Paperback: 128 pages

Publisher: Baker Trittin Concepts www.bakertrittinpress.com Baker Trittin Press PO Box 277 Winona Lake, IN 47590

ISBN-10: 0975288008

ISBN-13: 978-0975288009