The Multiplying Mysteries of Mount Ten

by Krista Van Dolzer

Overview

For fans of Book Scavenger, a smart and funny math camp middle-grade mystery with built-in logic puzzles that readers can solve

Twelve-year-old painter Esther can't wait to attend Camp Vermeer, the most prestigious art camp around. But when her stepdad accidentally drives up the wrong mountain, she lands at Camp Archimedes -- a math camp! Determined to prove herself to the other campers, she tackles a brain-teaser that's supposed to be impossible, and solves it in a single day. But not everyone is happy about it... someone wants her out of camp at any cost, and starts leaving cryptic, threatening notes all over the grounds. Esther doesn't know who to trust. Will she solve this riddle before it's too late?

Featuring tricky logic puzzles readers can solve along with the characters and starring a unique, smart, and crafty young heroine, this story has just the right mix of mystery, humor, wit, and heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681197739
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	04/09/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Krista Van Dolzer is a stay-at-home mom by day and a children's author by bedtime. She has a degree in Mathematics Education from Brigham Young University and lives with her husband and four kids in Layton, Utah. She's also the author of The Sound of Life and Everything, a Junior Library Guild selection; Don't Vote for Me, which also features Esther; and Earth to Dad.
http://www.kristavandolzer.blogspot.com/
@KristaVanDolzer

Editorial Reviews

03/11/2019

Seventh-grader Esther, an artist, can’t wait for her week at Camp Vermeer, but when her stepfather gets lost en route, accidentally landing them on the wrong mountain, Esther ends up at Camp Archimedes for math lovers. To Esther’s dismay, a raging storm prevents them from leaving. After she solves a brainteaser to impress the others, though, she becomes captivated by a mysterious math puzzle indicating that someone at the camp will be murdered. As typed clues begin appearing, the campers band together to puzzle them out before someone dies. Esther, whose math skills prove strong, leads the investigation, and readers can join in to test their own puzzle-solving prowess. A tie-in with a nationwide mystery about the Fenimore Forger, who has been getting away with replicating famous paintings for years, adds intrigue. The isolated setting provides the perfect backdrop for this fast-paced mystery by Van Dolzer (The Sound of Life and Everything) starring a quirky crew of well-drawn characters. Though the message about excelling at more than one thing can feel heavy-handed, Esther’s leadership skills and tenacity are inspiring, as is her growth as she forges connections with campers she initially dismisses. Ages 8–12. Agent: Brent Taylor, TriadaUS Literary Agency. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

The isolated setting provides the perfect backdrop for this fast-paced mystery by Van Dolzer starring a quirky crew of well-drawn characters... Esther's leadership skills and tenacity are inspiring.” —Publishers Weekly

“A good middle school mystery that includes, art, literature, logic, and multiple subplots…. Compares well to Chasing Vermeer and The Westing Game.” —School Library Connection

“Esther herself is solid and earnest, the math aspect is engaging, and the exuberant energy of the story is contagious.” —Kirkus Reviews

“[The story is] a lot of fun as readers participate in Esther's journey and solve puzzles alongside her . . . The ending successfully twists readers' expectations, and those who like thought puzzles will enjoy this book.” —BCCB

“Genuinely sweet...readers looking for realistic middle-grade fiction will find David a likable guide.” —School Library Journal on Don't Vote For Me

“Clever and witty.... not only fun to read but also easily relatable.” —Deseret News on Don't Vote For Me

“Thoughtful.” —Publishers Weekly on The Sound of Life and Everything

From the Publisher

2019-01-15

When bad weather and a wrong turn accidentally send an art-loving 12-year-old girl to Camp Archimedes, a math camp, instead of her intended destination, Camp Vermeer, things get a bit weird.

Once fate brings Esther Lambert to a brainy camp where she feels like "an alien from the planet Creativity," she finds herself unwittingly drawn in by compelling algebraic puzzles and logic challenges. Being the first to solve the inaugural brainteaser of the summer with an original solution gives her confidence. But then mysterious notes, camp history, and a spooky legend about the man who gave the land to the camp collide to lead her on a wacky hunt for what appears to be a serial murderer. Eventually her transition to newly minted math nerd is complete. Esther herself is solid and earnest, the math aspect is engaging, and the exuberant energy of the story is contagious. However, the pacing feels uneven, character development is limited, and it's not always clear where and why the plotline goes where it does or what is at stake. The effort to encourage girls to transition from single-minded focus on the arts to also believing in their math abilities feels sincere if a bit heavy-handed. Esther is depicted as white on the cover, and diversity among secondary characters is indicated through naming convention and description.

A well-intentioned premise with a few potentially thought-provoking puzzles thrown in for good measure. (Mystery. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews