The Mystery of Mystic Mountain

Following her parents’ separation, almost 13-year-old Becca Soloway looks forward to reconnecting with her mother on a “girls-only vacation,” despite missing out on beach shenanigans with her friends and crush. But Far Away Ranch fails to fulfill Becca’s expectations, offering no spa treatments, no wi-fi, no yoga or cooking classes; it’s just a “weird,” sprawling Montana lodge with hints of “something magical” within its walls. When Jon, a ranch hand near Becca’s age, recruits her help in finding the long-lost treasure of local hero Pearl-Handled Pete, Becca is eager to make a (cute) new friend and do something to impress the “in crowd” back home in Connecticut. While chasing clues, meeting otherworldly spirits, and rebuffing a greedy social media star, Becca learns that the only treasures worth fighting for are the kind that can’t be spent. Convenient plotting and inconsistent characterizations aside, thoughtful conversations about death, friendship, shifting family dynamics, and the power of storytelling permeate this frothy summer adventure by Fox (Carry Me Home), which bristles with gentle thrills and chills. Jon and Becca cue as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. (Oct.)