Riddle in the Mountain Book

Celtic mythology and the American West combine to create an unusual, well-researched, and fast-paced adventure.

Barbara L. Talcroft - Children's Literature

Twelve-year-old Kathy hears whispers in the night (she may have "the gift") to the disgust of older brother David, but when a neighbor boy dares them to look for a ghost at midnight, they both agree. Surprisingly, a ghost appears (a short bearded man dressed like a miner) and challenges the trio to solve a riddle from the past. Suddenly they are transported to the Boulder, Colorado, of 1879 and their only hope of returning home is to pursue the clues. It is not a bad idea for a fantasy, but this short novel combines the spooky stuff with rugged adventure and historical background about mining in Colorado, Cornish legends and traditions, fire-fighting, a diphtheria epidemic, a frontier funeral, as well as melodramatic characters—some based on real people like "Rocky Mountain Joe." A wagon trip up a rocky canyon, Kathy's descent into a silver mine and the resulting explosion, are truly frightening. But the wild action, constant bickering among the friends, and so much information packed into a short space—especially the riddle, which comes and goes in their memories—make for confusion at times and, ultimately, a feeling of overload. Burkhard has done solid research about historic Colorado, but probably should have saved some for a future book. Scattered throughout the text are Riccio's woodcut-like, black-and-white illustrations. Lovers of fantasy, especially of time-travel, may be the readers most likely to persist in following the tangled clues that will bring the travelers home from Boulder's dangerous mining past. 2005, Dogtooth Books, Ages 9 to 12.