The Lost Cipher

March 7, 2016
When 13-year-old Lucas Whitlatch, whose soldier father died in Afghanistan, arrives at Camp Kawani, a place for grieving children, he finds more than the camp’s brochure promised. As legend has it, a trove of gold and silver is buried somewhere in the surrounding Blue Ridge mountains, but the details are hidden in coded messages known as the Beale ciphers (which are real, newcomer Oechsle explains in an author’s note, though the story is fictional). Finding the treasure would provide more than enough money to fulfill Lucas’s last promise to his father: to look after his grandparents and “take care of their mountain, too,” which is in danger of being lost to strip mining. Along with the threat of Gideon Creech, an ill-tempered local rumored to shoot trespassers, Lucas and his new friends, goofy George and kind Alex, face panthers, copperheads, and a persistent camp bully while learning about themselves and finding unexpected ways to connect and heal. Occasional rough language (“bullcrap,” “pissed”), graphic images, and strong emotions surrounding loss are balanced by plenty of humor and heart in this compelling adventure. Ages 9–12.

March 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-Oechsle orchestrates a fast-paced narrative that is both poignant and engaging. The main protagonist, Lucas, struggles with a recent death in his family. While at a camp for youth who have recently lost a parent, Lucas discovers a local legend surrounding an early explorer named Thomas Beale. Intrigued by the lore and the prospect of uncovering hidden gold within the mountains of the camp, Lucas and his new friends try their hand at tracking down the treasure. Unfortunately, the exact location of the gold is encrypted into a series of codes that no one to date has been able to decipher. Readers follow Lucas and his friends as they attempt to navigate unfamiliar terrain and wilderness perils along the way. Those who enjoy a strong male protagonist who is industrious, rugged, and intelligent will like this offering. The language is realistic, and the author captures regional dialects reasonably well. Themes such as loss, grief, camaraderie, and deception are present. Read-alikes include the "Mysterious Benedict Society" series (Little, Brown) and Lemony Snicket's "Series of Unfortunate Events" saga (HarperCollins). VERDICT A plot-driven adventure with ample humor and likable characters.-Katie Flynn, Williston Northampton School Library, MA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2016
After being sent to a mountain camp for grieving teens, impoverished Lucas learns of a multimillion-dollar treasure that may be buried nearby and can be found only by breaking a difficult cipher. With his father recently killed in Afghanistan, his grandparents have decided to sell their beloved West Virginia mountain to strip miners. This tragedy, on top of the recent loss of his only parent, is almost unbearable for Lucas. At camp, the white country boy befriends cabin mates George, white, overweight, exuberant, and absolutely refusing to be bullied, and Salvadoran-American Alex, who is grieving for his dead mother. He also makes an immediate, persistent enemy of angry, even vicious, white rich-kid-stereotype Zack. On an overnight hike, the threesome spots a cave and sneaks off to look for treasure, then--as a consequence of Zack's scheming--get lost in the wilderness. After Alex is injured, Lucas hikes down the mountain and enlists the reluctant aid of a surly recluse, Mr. Creech, who turns out to have just the clue needed to solve the mysterious cipher. Action-driven and with character development lagging, this fast-paced tale is based on a real, partially solved 19th-century cipher that could lead to actual treasure, adding a nifty element. Plucky kids, the spice of danger, the lure of treasure, and an ever-so-happy (if remarkably improbable) conclusion all combine to make this an enjoyable if undemanding read. (Mystery. 10-14)

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April 1, 2016
Grades 4-7 Knowing that his single-parent dad died a war hero is cold comfort for 13-year-old Lucas, who now shoulders the responsibility of helping his grandparents and saving the West Virginia mountain they call home. Reluctantly, Lucas spends a week in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains at a camp for kids dealing with the recent loss of a parent. Intrigued by tales of the legendary stash of gold awaiting the person who decodes the Beale ciphers, he leads two new friends into danger the likes of lightning strikes, venomous snakes, and an apparently crazed old codger. There's plenty to like in Oechsle's first novel, including the depiction of Lucas and other well-drawn characters, the treasure hunt, the wilderness adventure, and scenes that capture the enmity as well as the humor behind campers' sometimes reckless pranks. An appended author's note discusses the actual Beale ciphers and includes the three encrypted messages as well as the translation of the only one decoded. A well-paced story with appealing characters, cliff-hanger moments, and a resonant emotional core.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)