The Mastodon Mystery

Alice Kidd is an editor with The New Catalyst editorial collective in
Lillooet, B.C.

Thrown together for the summer as a result of family changes, James and
Emily, 11 and 13, participate in a mastodon dig run by the local museum.
The two young people discover and work to frustrate a plan to steal the
mastodon bones and sell them to private collectors. Amid this
old-fashioned mystery, James has his relationship with his father to
contend with, while Emily struggles to accept her parents’ separation.
Perkyns treats these and other issues with a light touch appropriate to
preadolescence.

The plot is the strongest part of this book. Although some of the turns
and coincidences seem forced, this does not spoil the excitement of the
“chase.” Less successful is character development: many of the
adults are sketched with broad strokes.

The supporting illustrations and scientific explanation for the
mastodon dig are excellent. A map or other diagram would have made the
descriptions of several exotic Nova Scotia locations easier to
understand: the Fundy bore remains a mystery to this reviewer. Not a
first-choice purchase.