The Lost Cipher, written by Michael Oechsle, reviewed by Anneliese White

Summary: Life for Lucas has been very difficult lately. After losing his dad overseas in the military, his grandma sends him to a summer camp for children who have lost a parent. He immediately meets two boys, Alex and George, and they all become instant friends and cabin roommates, all while uniting over a common enemy named Zach. Stories float around of a lost treasure nearby the camp, buried in the mountains by an old traveler 200 years ago. The three boys branch off into their own adventure to find the buried treasure, leaving camp, and encountering many dangers along the way such as snakes, getting lost in the wilderness, and bumping into an old gun-wielding curmudgeon named Mr. Creech. Will they be able to find the treasure using the cipher left by the old explorer? Will they make it out of the wilderness and safely back to camp? The Lost Cipher will take readers on an exciting quest, keeping them guessing until the end. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: The Lost Cipher is a no brainer selection for upper elementary students. It is a well written adventure story that will interest both boy and girl readers, and have them fascinated by the treasure hunt. It deals well with the emotions of losing a loved one, especially a parent, and how an adolescent grieves and works through it. The book also features a diversity of characters in the trio of boys, which is an asset. Oechsle does a great job of balancing adventure, emotion, and suspense, all while encouraging readers to try and solve the quest too. A great summer read!