Aaron JohnsonAdventure in Grand Canyon National Park: A Mystery Adventure (National Park Mystery Series)

Adventure in Grand Canyon National Park is Book Three of a ten book series (at the time of writing this review it is the latest book).The premise of the series is that teenager Jake is on a scavenger hunt through that National Parks with his friends Amber and Wes. The scavenger hunt was set by his grandfather and others before the start of the series and his grandfather’s death. But the scavenger hunt isn’t just for fun. His grandfather was working to discover something important, something that bad people want, too. So, Jake and his friends not only have to solve the clues/riddles that his grandfather left behind, but also keep ahead of the bad guys who are trying to stop them and steal the clues for themselves.Book three finds the three friends (and their families) at Grand Canyon National Park. Their quest takes them from the rim of the canyon, down to the river, and back up, hunting for clues hidden within the canyon. As they search, the meet new friends, encounter new enemies, and at times have their friendship tested. There is some information at the start of the book that gives back-story for anyone that hasn’t read the earlier books. But, I do think this book is best read after the first two books. It is really a continuation of the previous story. As with the previous two books, between the main chapters there are also chapters of a smaller story that takes place in 1880. By the end of the book, it is revealed how the stories are related to each other.I read this book as soon as I could get it with my 9-year-old son, and as soon as we finished he started reading it again on his own. He loved the first two books and when we finished this book, he said it was even better than the first two. Every time we finished a chapter, he begged to not stop reading. He enjoys the characters, who are a good mix of serious and funny. As with the previous books, he enjoyed trying to figure out the clues before the characters did, predict what might happen, and puzzle out how the 1880 story was related to the present-day story. Some clues he was able to get part of the way, which was rewarding, but not all the way, which made it exciting to read.As an adult who loves national parks, I also enjoyed this book. I liked reading and having my son learn about real places in Grand Canyon National Park. It definitely made us both interested in visiting those places. The story is engaging enough for adults and very exciting for kids. The writing and story are appropriate for the target age of 8-12. Some readers on the younger end or not quite as developed may find it takes some time to get through the whole book if reading on their own.I highly recommended this book (and series) for young or old readers.

Ok, I haven't even finished this one in the series but I can already tell you it's great! The mystery continues as our friends travel through the national parks solving a treasure hunt. I feel like I'm right there with them. The only problem is my son is upset because we don't have the next one in the series yet!!

awsome book great for kids who love mysteriesgreat escapes and details everyone should read this amazing kid friendly story

Book 3 continues to tie together pieces of the puzzle from 1880 to present all while being immersed in the natural setting of the Grand Canyon. Jake’s character also continues to develop and we get to experience him working through some of the feelings of adolescence. I am looking forward to recommending this book to my students next year and was pleased with the introduction of an indigenous character since my school’s population is largely Native American. I am hoping the school library will add these books very soon! Anxiously waiting to continue the journey in book 4.

My granddaughter loves this series and can’t wait for the next book.

Finished the third book in the series. The writing is so incredible that it keeps you fascinated and so anxious to see what happens next. Instead of reading a few chapters then doing something else and returning to the book later. You just keep reading to see what happens next.

Our children (6 & 7.75yo) have both been excitedly waiting for the release of the 3rd book in this series (and rereading books #1 and #2 several times each in the mean time). When it arrived last night we dove right in reading several chapters at bedtime. The author does a great job making the story accessible for kids as young as 6 to listen to, while the mystery is still complex enough to be interesting to everyone - including the adults. The national park setting is fantastic to connect with if you have every visited any park and these stories will create dreams to travel to these specific parks. I was warned some children have stayed up all night reading these. Luckily our nearly 8yo managed to sleep all night but woke up at 6AM and immediately immersed himself in the Grand Canyon (see photo) until I dragged him out for breakfast. My only complaint is now I have to catch up on chapters 5-10 myself!I give my strongest recommendation of these books for any kids 6 and over. You will enjoy reading them to the younger ones, and hearing all about them from the older. As an independently published book that just came out, there are a few tiny typo kind of errors here and there, but they do not take away from the very well written and thought out mystery narrative and connected riddles. Glad we can expect 7 more books in this series and the excitement will build all the way to Yellowstone and Grand Teton which basically the backyard for our family!!Very glad I ordered two copies so that each child could read in bed and at their own pace. Will be glad to have an extra to loan to friends and classmates when we finish them for a 3rd or 4th time also.