Description
Price: $12.49
(as of Mar 21, 2025 11:36:01 UTC – Details)
Secret Codes – Lost Landmarks – Hidden Clues – Real Locations
Before Jake’s grandfather died, he was on the trail of a centuries-old mystery. And he has entrusted that mystery to Jake, leaving behind a set of hidden codes, riddles, maps, and other clues that lead Jake and his friends on a scavenger hunt into the heart of Colorado’s wild and rugged Rocky Mountain National Park.
Through twists and turns, the mystery unfolds while Jake, Amber, and Wes learn about survival skills, natural history, integrity, character, and friendship.
While camping in Rocky Mountain National Park, they discover they are not the only ones on this quest. An elusive shadow group is close on their heels.
Illustrated by the author, this page-turning adventure is designed to capture the imagination of even the most reluctant of young readers. Parents looking for a delightful read-aloud adventure will find it hard to put down. (Word of Caution: readers frequently note that this is a “Please read just one more chapter” book).
If your family loves the enchanted lands of our national parks, this series will take you to hidden places and into breathtaking landscapes. If you enjoy movies like National Treasure and Uncharted or mystery adventures like the Hardy Boys and Gary Paulsen’s survival story, Hatchet, you’ll love this first installment of the National Park Mystery Series.
Start this epic adventure on your Kindle app, or begin the journey with a paperback copy.
From the Publisher
Get Out Your Map!
“We had our park map out and would look up each location mentioned in the book. My 9-year-old stole the book from me and stayed up late finishing it on her own!
– Lynn Darrah, High School Special Educator and Mom
Great Bedtime Reading for Kids and Adults
“The story was full of adventure! I didn’t want to stop reading because I always wanted to find out what would happen next”
– Colby, Student in Vermont
History Meets Mystery on an Adventure
“The adventure was rich, the dialogue was natural, and the places that I’ve been were very accurately described. I did not want to put the book down.”
– Rockwood PA Area Elementary Teacher
Publisher : Aaron Johnson (May 22, 2022)
Language : English
Paperback : 260 pages
ISBN-10 : 098971165X
ISBN-13 : 978-0989711654
Reading age : 8+ years, from customers
Item Weight : 10.4 ounces
Dimensions : 5.25 x 0.65 x 8 inches
Customers say
Customers find the book well-written and enjoyable. They appreciate the suspenseful storyline and engaging adventure that keeps them engaged. The book is described as entertaining, captivating, and exciting. Readers praise the relatable characters with respectful qualities. The book provides accurate information about national parks and nature in general.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Rachel –
Beautifully written! Wholesome, engaging, FUN read for kids!
This series is a must buy! I have read all 4 with my 6-7 year old son and we eagerly await #5 to arrive any day!
I am extremely picky when it comes to books.. so many childrenâs books lack depth and skillful writing- but not these! The storyline is engaging without all the chaos, drama and fear-based plots of many other books. Itâs not your typical âgood guy vs bad guyâ and there are no scary parts.
My son is quite advanced and brainy, he loves nature and animal facts and I felt this actually stimulated him in a wholesome way. These books could easily be for 6-10+ – perfect for mamas to read to their kids or for older kids to read by themselves.
High quality writing while offering loads of geographical and nature education, as weâre taking on tours of the National Parks of the US. Thoughtful character development and so very important & human themes seamlessly woven into the stories ( healthy expression and processing of anger, jealousy, teamwork, communication, trust, loyaltyâ¦)
Aaron Johnson is an exceptional childâs author, I bow to his commitment to producing a true treasure of a childrenâs book series!! Bravo!!!
elektra d –
A Grand Adventure Through Time and the Canyon!
I really liked this book! As someone who already has a soft spot for national parks, this story hit all the right notes. Itâs a perfect mix of mystery, history, and adventure, and it kept both me and my little audience engaged from start to finish.
What I loved:
– Travel through space and time: The story seamlessly bops between real-time and the 1880s, adding layers of intrigue and making the Grand Canyon feel even more magical.
– Excitement on every page: The plot moves quickly, and thereâs always something new happening, keeping it exciting without overwhelming younger readers.
– Short chapters = bedtime win: As someone who reads aloud at night, I really appreciate the short chapters. They make it easy to wrap up a section without feeling like youâre reading a novel marathon. Perfect for winding down but still delivering a good dose of adventure.
– Relatable characters: The characters are fun, likable, andâthankfullyânot obnoxious (looking at you, other kidsâ series). They feel real and make it easy to root for them throughout the story.
tws –
Engaging Book
Great book. Reading the series with kids who adore it. Very captivating. Excellent research went into this. Fun threads of mystery and suspense. Brings the national parks alive. Totally get it if your kids like movies like National Treasure or book series like Magic Tree House, etc. I think especially good for ages 8-11, although kids as young as 6 can follow, as a read along. Please give it a read and support this excellent effort to tie kids through fiction to the fabulous resources we have in our national parks and monuments.
MarBarMN –
Exciting new series
Our family enjoys camping in the many MN State Parks, so this series piqued our interest. My 8-year old son chose this is as our next read aloud. Each night before bed, he would eagerly ask for me to read several chapters. He was entranced by the story and especially enjoyed trying to decipher the puzzles/clues. As a parent, I loved the attention to detail, the positive characters, and, of course, the adventure! As an educator, I appreciated the historical pieces, the hiking safety tips, and all of the beautiful vocabulary words! We have already ordered the next two books in the series. I highly recommend this to other families!
Elizabeth –
Good book!
Terrific book and the story line kept my interest and Iâm 48 years old! but 2 pages are messed up. The ink is blurred on a number of the lines and can hardly be read.
Amazon Customer –
Absolutely OBSESSED with this series!!
My daughter is 9 and is OBSESSED! She wanted a new mystery series and as an outdoor enthusiast this one quickly caught my eye. She absolutely loves them. As a parent, I appreciate knowing (without having to read the book in full myself) that itâs good hearted reading for her without any content that may concern me. And sheâs learning legitimate things about our national parks – and other valuable relevant lessons! I couldnât recommend this series enough!
Patricia Froyd –
A great read aloud mystery
I started reading the first three chapters to my 5th grade son, thinking that I would pass it on to him to finish, since we always have so many books I want to read aloud. I ended up reading the entire book to three of our kids. Aaron Johnson did such a fabulous job writing a book that is so natural and easy to read aloud, which is not true of many books. The story jumps between modern-day and 1880 in the Estes Park area, which gives it a time travel feel to it. I loved the relationships between the kids and between the grown-ups and kids in the story. There is respect shown both ways and the kids are given responsibility and independence. My kids (ages 6-12) were excited to sit down and hear me read the book each time, and when I asked if they wanted another chapter, they would always say yes!
We have bought all three books (birthday presents for the almost 10-year-old at his request), and I am considering reading all of them out loud because it’s such an interesting story and I’d like to see where it goes. I highly recommend this book. It’s refreshing to have a well-written book to hand my upper elementary/middle school kids—or to read aloud to them.
Roy Lindhardt –
Just the Right Kind of Adventure for the Intended Age
I really like how the mystery and adventure were slowly unveiled to both the children and the reader while introducing slightly more danger. The way the danger was taken care of by the finding of the item was quite clever, though perhaps a little too mysteriously to me. I am looking forward to continuing this series!
FN –
Enjoyed the suspense and uncovering of clues.
Dan Millette –
My 11 year old is an avid reader. We picked this up for him. He read it in a day. Said he loved it, “especially the 1880s parts.” Then he said that the author was tricky because he makes it so that you “have” to buy the next book. I asked why. He said it’s because each subsequent book has clues to solving the mystery. Long story short, he then asked if we could buy the next book!