The Mystery of the Moon Tower (The Pathfinders Society #1)

Gr 4-6—After moving to his mom's old town, Windrose, Kyle is going to spend the summer at Camp Pathfinder, located in a valley with a changing weather and smelly natural gas that tends to escape through the ground. There, Kyle meets Beth, Harry, Victoria, and Nate, the other campers in his assigned group. The five campers have distinctive interests: Kyle likes to draw, organized Beth enjoys history, Harry's passion is magic, Victoria is a math whiz, and Nate loves to create and find solutions to problems. They tap their many talents as they encounter an enigmatic castle and look for a treasure connected with the mysterious camp's founder, the missing Henry Merriweather. The narrative is simple and likely to appeal to reluctant readers, and the engaging, vibrant illustrations help move the plot along. Readers will relate to the characters and be drawn into the narrative. VERDICT This first book in an adventure-filled mystery graphic novel series will garner fans. Tweens will have fun with this quick read whose open ending will leave readers wanting to know more.—Kathia Ibacache, University of Colorado Boulder

En route to Camp Pathfinder, located in his mother's small hometown of Windrose, artist Kyle envisions himself engaged in a forest pathway pursuit with four other kids. Upon arrival at the summer camp and beset by supernatural weather, Kyle takes shelter with four new buddies--the opening group--as they learn about eccentric inventor-explorer Henry Merriweather, who built a concrete castle and mysterious Moon Tower nearby. Merriweather, who vanished in 1934, left a secret sought by generations of Pathfinders: the Windrose Treasure. Now his castle--and the camp--are at imminent risk of closure due to lack of funding, and the current Pathfinders must find the stash. Eisner Award-winning colorist Hamaker contributes antic scenes of the campers and richly depicts historic maps and Merriweather's castle, which allows the kids to see scenes from the past and illuminates clues in bioluminescent light. Though the novel suffers from disjointed pacing and plot holes--presumably to be resolved in future installments--Sedita and Seraydarian bring much enthusiasm to the project, and the historical basis of Merriweather's story, the real-life Henry Mercer and Mercer Museum of Doylestown, Pa., is certain to intrigue. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)