Friday, July 16, 2010

Mystery of the Inca Cave by Lila Waltch

Like most old paperback Scholastic mysteries, this combines some kind of mystery with an "issue." In this case, two boys exploring the Andes find criminal activity and a secret mine - and the main character also builds a better relationship with his father. In fact, the mystery is secondary to his growing maturity. This book is definitely older - I can't picture a contemporary juvenile fiction or mystery that has one of the characters talking about it being no big deal to obey his parents and the other character's major lesson being that his own stubborness and refusal to listen are the main problems in his relationship with his father. There's also an odd view of the locals - the boys' families are both there as part of an American mining concession and modern sensibilities wince at the way they obviously consider everything theirs, not just the mine. Yes, I forgot the boys' names. Finally realized that, huh?

Verdict: Mildly interesting, not my favorite of the old Scholastic mysteries.

ISBN: 978-0590044813; Published February 1970 by Scholastic (original title Cave of the Incas); Received through Bookmooch

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