CAJUN KIDS ADVENTURES

Kids discover buried Indigenous artifacts and help investigate when thieves rob the site in Landry’s middle-grade novel.

Living on a houseboat, five siblings—studious, science-oriented Beth, 14; bookworm and inventor Mark, 13; spirited, outdoors-loving Timothy, 10; shy and independent Ann, 8; and animal and insect fan Sam, 7—go adventuring at low tide. Digging in the exposed mud, they uncover long-buried arrowheads, tools, and pottery at what may have been a sacred site long ago. They report their find to their parents and to Joe, a member of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. While he consults university experts, Joe asks the children to research the archives at the local courthouse and library to see what they can learn about tribes that had inhabited the area. Afterward, the siblings and their parents compare notes at a new pizza place. (But was a waiter paying too much attention to their conversation?) The next day, when the preservation of the site is to begin, the children are shocked: It’s full of freshly dug holes, “mud had been thrown everywhere, and not a single artifact remained.” Recovering the historical items will require all five siblings, including some well-timed slingshot expertise from Timothy, Ann, and Sam. In this fast-moving, education-based mystery for tweens, the reader is sure to identify with at least one of the characters among the five endearing young people keen to solve the crime. According to the author’s note, his Cajun Kids Adventures books, including Adventure in the Wild (2022) and The Cup, the Cap and the Ring-tailed Monkey (2023), are “loosely based on the experiences, challenges and shenanigans of his children’s unique upbringing” in South Louisiana. His appreciation for life in this wetland area of the United States lends descriptive depth to this chapter book: “The lush, thick greenery lining the banks of the rivers and bayous would soon transform into hues of orange and red. Alligators and turtles basking in the sun would begin to nest for the winter, ushering in” the return of “ducks and other waterfowl.”

An engaging mystery that affirms the benefits of parental encouragement, empathy, and problem-solving.