Secrets of Rebel Cave - Softcover

This true-to-life adventure story for Young Adults and adults was written by the father-daughter team who wrote the highly-acclaimed Turn Back Time, winner of the 2001 Benjamin Franklin Award for Popular Fiction.

Immediately following WWII, the Stoneworth teens explore Rebel Cave to see if they can prove that Confederate soldiers hid out there during the Civil War. They find proof—and much, much more! This historical-fiction novel helps young adults and adults gain knowledge of caves, ecology, the Civil War, and day-to-day life following WWII. And as they follow the adventures of the young explorers, readers gain insights about teamwork and conflict resolution, as well as coping skills for handling fears and prejudices. The book is strongly endorsed by educators. One teacher wrote: “This many-faceted book is a teacher’s dream! ... will trigger dialogue about teamwork and relationships, dealing with emotions and prejudices, and often-forgotten aspects of our country’s history. Jean Bell, Chillicothe, MO

Much of the heart-beating realism of the book grows from the authors’ life-long fascination with caves. Smith has made significant documented discoveries as a spelunker, one of which led to the opening to the public of one of the world’s largest caves. Hauser made her first trip far underground while still a preschooler.

Secrets of Rebel Cave is the first book in a planned four-book historical-fiction series. Watch for the release of The Long-lost Journal of Rebel Cave in late 2002 or early 2003.

Grades 4-7--It's 1945 in the coal-mining country of Muhlenberg County, KY. Dulcie Delaney, 16, and her younger brother Jackie, a wise guy with a photographic memory, spend Thanksgiving with their Stoneworth cousins in Tennessee and explore Rebel Cave. New friends Erik and Anna, German refugees, join them. In short order, they prove that legends about Confederates using the cave during the Civil War are true; cousin Eugene overcomes his fear of tight spots and Dulcie her fear of mice/bats; and innocent romances bud. The young people deal with the small-minded prejudice of despicable neighbors, the Snodgrass family; they devise a gravity-fed water system to bring running water to the house; and they prove that Uncle Berk really does own the cave, despite the elder Snodgrass's assertions to the contrary. Oh, and Uncle Berk, a recently returned POW, provides the Snodgrass family with his eyewitness account of their oldest son's death in the prison camp. Written in a style reminiscent of the "Nancy Drew" books or junior novels of old, this book is unrealistic in some respects, even considering the setting. The plentiful end matter includes an author's note about the firsthand caving experiences of Dulcie's stepfather, lending credence to some of the details. The authors also incorporate a fair amount of history, both of the Civil War and the post-World War II setting. However, stilted dialogue, obvious plotting, and heavy-handed moralizing will likely put off readers.

Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Junior High School, Iowa City, IA

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.