HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW
Book: Case of the Stone Mansion: Josie and the Digger’s Club, Volume 1
Author: Pamela Bush
Cover Illustrator: Darcy Richardson
Publisher: Pamela Bush, 2018
ISBN-13: 978-0984803675
ISBN-10: 098480367X
Related website(s): http://www.pamelabushauthor.com (author)
Language level: 1
(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)
Recommended reading level: Ages 10-14
Rating: ***** 5 stars
(5 stars=EXCELLENT; 4 stars=GOOD; 3 stars=FAIR; 2 stars=POOR; 1 star=VERY POOR; no stars=NOT RECOMMENDED)
Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker
Disclosure: Many publishers, literary agents, and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion. Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library. No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.
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Bush, Pamela. Case of the Stone Mansion: Josie and the Digger’s Club, Volume 1 (Published in 2018 privately by Pamela Bush). Thirteen year old Josephine (Josie) Winnell lives with her father, who is the town sheriff, and mother. Her best friends are Lillian (Lily) Spencer and Charles (Charlie) Maxwell. The three teens form “the Digger’s Club” to help people with problems and to catch thieves and vandals. Soon they invite newcomer Amy Stone to join the club. Her parents have moved to the area because they inherited the old stone Galloway mansion on the edge of town and plan to turn it into a bed and breakfast called the Stone Mansion.
The club’s first adventure results from the fact that the old house has a reputation for being supposedly haunted because people have reported seeing strange lights there. While exploring the mansion, the Diggers stumble onto a clue, which leads to scavenger hunt for a possible rumored treasure hidden there. Given one last day to explore before the remodeling begins, Charlie doesn’t arrive on time. Who is the “ghost”? Is there really a hidden treasure or is it just a long forgotten game? And what has happened to the missing Charlie?
Who doesn’t like reading a good, exciting mystery written with a ghostly theme and page turning excitement? The story deals with relevant issues for modern pre-teen to early teen readers, but without going too far, as so many current pre-teen/teen books do; there is nothing objectionable here. While the book is intended for young people, adults can enjoy it too. Case of the Stone Mansion is Book 1 in the “Josie and the Digger’s Club Series,” which has been called “today’s version of the classic mysteries of Trixie Beldon, Nancy Drew, Boxcar Children, etc.”
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