The Skeleton in Black Canyon

This youth adventure story features an 11-year old boy and his grandfather during two camping trips in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in southern California. The first of the two-part story involves a two-night trip on a four-wheeler ATV into a valley that is surrounded by mountains. They find a hot springs pool used by the Native Americans for centuries, an old gold mine, and a cave overlooking the valley. In the cave they find a skeleton of a man and the mystery begins. Bruce rescues his grandfather after an accident.In the second part of the story Bruce and his grandfather return by horseback to the same valley to look for clues to resolve what happened to the man in the cave. A State Park Ranger takes them to another valley in his Jeep in order to investigate a hunting accident and they encounter a flash flood during a thunderstorm.The story contains history and descriptions about the region including the route of the 1858 Butterfield Stage Line. The book includes a two-page site map and 32 illustrations and photographs that are appropriate for the story. An age appropriate crossword puzzle is also included for the reader. The reading level is the fourth through sixth grade. Younger children would enjoy the story being read to them.