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Accidental Detectives #2
The Mystery Tribe Of Camp Blackeagle
Ricky cannot imagine anything worse than having to take care of his younger brother Joel at summer camp, until it appears that ghosts of massacred American Indians are haunting their campsite.
Paperback
First published May 1, 1990
About the author
Sigmund Brouwer
256 books410 followersSigmund loves going to schools to get kids excited about reading, reaching roughly 80,000 students a year through his Rock&Roll Literacy Show.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 4, 2016
I laughed my way through this. Literally...I can't even rembmer the last time I laughed OUT LOUD from a book. Not just a little smirk, but a laugh where you have to stop reading, cover your face with the book, and wait until you calm down. Suffice to say my siblings looked at me a little strange (my mom didn't even notice anything unusual :D). A simple sentence sent me into giggles, like this one:
"Joel!" I yelled. "Time to throw away your teddy bear!" And your wondering why it is so funny. Join my family. Lol. But it does make more sense if you read the book ;)
"Mr. Vanderhoek is probably still trying to work up Ted." Ted Weibe was one of the youngest counselors; we all knew he loved sleeping. Once the counselors had taken us to an educational movie on African animals. When we left, Ted was still in the front row, snoring away." I literally choked at that one! Even the authors minor characters have unique characteristics.
"Mike, who's going to get the dumbest-joke-of-the-week award?"
"Probably Counselor Ted. He'll ask why the Cadet crossed the road."
A couple pages later...
Counselor Ted said, "Why did the Cadet cross the road?" We all shouted back, "To get the chicken!" Then we hooted at Counselor Ted. Every time we go camping, he forgets he's already told that one.
So yeah, I didn't think a camping trip would be so humorous, and I liked this one more than the last one I read. All the talk of indian spirits and such was a little weird, and it was also a little cheesy the reason behind it, but I probably enjoyed it more than the age group it is geared for! The spiritual aspect was more profound in this book and I like how every night at the campsite they had a time of prayer and a little devotional.
"Joel!" I yelled. "Time to throw away your teddy bear!" And your wondering why it is so funny. Join my family. Lol. But it does make more sense if you read the book ;)
"Mr. Vanderhoek is probably still trying to work up Ted." Ted Weibe was one of the youngest counselors; we all knew he loved sleeping. Once the counselors had taken us to an educational movie on African animals. When we left, Ted was still in the front row, snoring away." I literally choked at that one! Even the authors minor characters have unique characteristics.
"Mike, who's going to get the dumbest-joke-of-the-week award?"
"Probably Counselor Ted. He'll ask why the Cadet crossed the road."
A couple pages later...
Counselor Ted said, "Why did the Cadet cross the road?" We all shouted back, "To get the chicken!" Then we hooted at Counselor Ted. Every time we go camping, he forgets he's already told that one.
So yeah, I didn't think a camping trip would be so humorous, and I liked this one more than the last one I read. All the talk of indian spirits and such was a little weird, and it was also a little cheesy the reason behind it, but I probably enjoyed it more than the age group it is geared for! The spiritual aspect was more profound in this book and I like how every night at the campsite they had a time of prayer and a little devotional.
June 25, 2024
Taking its spot as the second in the well-written, always-exciting middle-grades The Accidental Detectives series, The Mystery Tribe of Camp Blackeagle misses a few strides but ultimately is another great example of Sigmund Brouwer’s age-appropriate wit, clever storytelling, and Christian messages.
After their end-of-the-school-year New York City fiasco, Ricky Kidd and his friends (and, of course, his younger brother Joel) join their boys church group the Cadets on their summer camp trip to Camp Blackeagle, which they hope will be a time to settle their personal rivalries with some harmless tricks. However, the boys quickly learn of the legend of their intended campsite: that the Blackeagle Indian tribe was massacred on the campgrounds a few centuries earlier, leaving their vengeful ghosts to haunt the site. Ricky and his friends dismiss the legend and focus on having the time of their lives at summer camp, but increasingly strange occurrences — disappearing tools, mysterious omens, and terrifying appearances of spirits — force them to reevaluate the legend and question their own beliefs about ghosts.
The Mystery Tribe of Camp Blackeagle follows the usual Accidental Detectives formula, incorporating dozens of hilarious vignettes (honestly some of the funniest and cleverest in the series) with a hair-raising mystery and a practical lesson for young readers. The mystery delivers on the kind of spine-chilling thrills every 12-year-old wants to read: Brouwer intercuts these seriously frightening moments with the normal escapades that keep things light-hearted, like Ricky’s comic books being devoured by a goat, Joel outsmarting all the older boys to keep Ricky out of trouble, the pranks on the bullies Jim and Bruce Martin, etc. The tone is fun and casual, but make no mistake: it’s exciting enough to keep your interest. Based on the overall presentation of the camp experience — the constant pranks, the bad cooking, the terrifying outhouse, the heart-to-heart campfire chats — it’s abundantly obvious that Sigmund Brouwer attended a boys camp or two in his day.
Brouwer goes into more spiritual territory in this book than he did in its predecessor, Lost Beneath Manhattan. Here, Ricky and friends are confronted with the question, Do ghosts really exist, and if so how does that fit into a Christian worldview? Brouwer provides us with a smart and satisfying answer; though he does allow his Indian haunting to have a logical explanation, he lets Ricky’s wise counselor Mr. Vanderhoek make this statement:
It’s a solid answer to a question that puzzles most Christians, and it leaves room for kids to draw their own conclusions. Furthermore, the solution to the mystery teaches a great lesson in responsible environmentalism. Throughout the book, we see the Cadets terrorize animals, chop down trees for fun, strew garbage through the woods, and pollute the nearby stream. Their realization that God’s earth deserves better from them is a solid one, as are the overall themes of facing your fears and maturing.
The Mystery Tribe of Camp Blackeagle struggles in a few areas that improve in the following books of the series. Ricky and Joel are the primary characters in this novel, with Mike Andrews and Ralphy Zee taking a backseat to most of the action (especially after Ralphy barely appeared in Lost Beneath Manhattan). Lisa Higgins is also reduced to a bookend appearance, being replaced by the mysterious mountain girl Sheila, who is very much not Lisa’s equal storytelling-wise. Thankfully, Brouwer doesn’t get too far into The Accidental Detectives before realizing that the interplay between the five stars — Ricky, Mike, Ralphy, Lisa, and Joel — is crucial to its success.
The plot is a little weaker as well, again, with comedic interludes and scary occurrences providing the meat of the story. What’s even more shocking is The Mystery Tribe of Camp Blackeagle’s depiction of the adult leadership. Of course, this is a middle-school series and we expect our 12-year-old leads to do most of the action. However, Mr. Vanderhoek’s decision to just ignore the strange happenings and literally bloody threats against the several dozen children in his care is just plain sloppy.
Despite this, The Mystery Tribe of Camp Blackeagle is a fun addition to The Accidental Detectives, and it has a sense of realism in the campground setting that’s sure to evoke some nostalgia in anyone who has ever picked up a stick and swung it at a tree. Though you’ll find better books in the series, this one is worth a read for the lessons it teaches and the laughs you’re sure to get.
After their end-of-the-school-year New York City fiasco, Ricky Kidd and his friends (and, of course, his younger brother Joel) join their boys church group the Cadets on their summer camp trip to Camp Blackeagle, which they hope will be a time to settle their personal rivalries with some harmless tricks. However, the boys quickly learn of the legend of their intended campsite: that the Blackeagle Indian tribe was massacred on the campgrounds a few centuries earlier, leaving their vengeful ghosts to haunt the site. Ricky and his friends dismiss the legend and focus on having the time of their lives at summer camp, but increasingly strange occurrences — disappearing tools, mysterious omens, and terrifying appearances of spirits — force them to reevaluate the legend and question their own beliefs about ghosts.
The Mystery Tribe of Camp Blackeagle follows the usual Accidental Detectives formula, incorporating dozens of hilarious vignettes (honestly some of the funniest and cleverest in the series) with a hair-raising mystery and a practical lesson for young readers. The mystery delivers on the kind of spine-chilling thrills every 12-year-old wants to read: Brouwer intercuts these seriously frightening moments with the normal escapades that keep things light-hearted, like Ricky’s comic books being devoured by a goat, Joel outsmarting all the older boys to keep Ricky out of trouble, the pranks on the bullies Jim and Bruce Martin, etc. The tone is fun and casual, but make no mistake: it’s exciting enough to keep your interest. Based on the overall presentation of the camp experience — the constant pranks, the bad cooking, the terrifying outhouse, the heart-to-heart campfire chats — it’s abundantly obvious that Sigmund Brouwer attended a boys camp or two in his day.
Brouwer goes into more spiritual territory in this book than he did in its predecessor, Lost Beneath Manhattan. Here, Ricky and friends are confronted with the question, Do ghosts really exist, and if so how does that fit into a Christian worldview? Brouwer provides us with a smart and satisfying answer; though he does allow his Indian haunting to have a logical explanation, he lets Ricky’s wise counselor Mr. Vanderhoek make this statement:
“I cannot say for sure there are ghosts or there are no ghosts. It is beyond what we can know. But believe this, a world with or without ghosts is still God’s world. Miracles happen. If you permit mystery in your world, you’ll have more fun in life. And you won’t take God for granted.”
It’s a solid answer to a question that puzzles most Christians, and it leaves room for kids to draw their own conclusions. Furthermore, the solution to the mystery teaches a great lesson in responsible environmentalism. Throughout the book, we see the Cadets terrorize animals, chop down trees for fun, strew garbage through the woods, and pollute the nearby stream. Their realization that God’s earth deserves better from them is a solid one, as are the overall themes of facing your fears and maturing.
The Mystery Tribe of Camp Blackeagle struggles in a few areas that improve in the following books of the series. Ricky and Joel are the primary characters in this novel, with Mike Andrews and Ralphy Zee taking a backseat to most of the action (especially after Ralphy barely appeared in Lost Beneath Manhattan). Lisa Higgins is also reduced to a bookend appearance, being replaced by the mysterious mountain girl Sheila, who is very much not Lisa’s equal storytelling-wise. Thankfully, Brouwer doesn’t get too far into The Accidental Detectives before realizing that the interplay between the five stars — Ricky, Mike, Ralphy, Lisa, and Joel — is crucial to its success.
The plot is a little weaker as well, again, with comedic interludes and scary occurrences providing the meat of the story. What’s even more shocking is The Mystery Tribe of Camp Blackeagle’s depiction of the adult leadership. Of course, this is a middle-school series and we expect our 12-year-old leads to do most of the action. However, Mr. Vanderhoek’s decision to just ignore the strange happenings and literally bloody threats against the several dozen children in his care is just plain sloppy.
Despite this, The Mystery Tribe of Camp Blackeagle is a fun addition to The Accidental Detectives, and it has a sense of realism in the campground setting that’s sure to evoke some nostalgia in anyone who has ever picked up a stick and swung it at a tree. Though you’ll find better books in the series, this one is worth a read for the lessons it teaches and the laughs you’re sure to get.
October 10, 2023
Entertaining and well-written Middle Grade mystery book
Mystery At Camp Blackeagle is the second book in the Accidental Detectives series (or the fourth, as initially published). It's a good read, even for Old Timers like myself. I first read it back in 1990, and though it seems like the story is slightly different from the original version, it's still entertaining.
The story follows the adventures of Ricky, Joel, Mike, and Ralphy on a week-long campout with their church group to Camp Blackeagle, a place steeped in Native American history and lore. Naturally, that leads to interactions with Native American "spirits" and scares.
Sigmund Brouwer is a gifted writer with a Christian worldview, and he expertly weaves in Christian themes without being preachy or over the top. The bottom line, it's an entertaining and well-written book.
Mystery At Camp Blackeagle is the second book in the Accidental Detectives series (or the fourth, as initially published). It's a good read, even for Old Timers like myself. I first read it back in 1990, and though it seems like the story is slightly different from the original version, it's still entertaining.
The story follows the adventures of Ricky, Joel, Mike, and Ralphy on a week-long campout with their church group to Camp Blackeagle, a place steeped in Native American history and lore. Naturally, that leads to interactions with Native American "spirits" and scares.
Sigmund Brouwer is a gifted writer with a Christian worldview, and he expertly weaves in Christian themes without being preachy or over the top. The bottom line, it's an entertaining and well-written book.
August 9, 2021
As I wrote in my 6th grade book report:
I think this book was very good and a little scary. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes ghost and mystery stories. I assure you, you will love it. I have only read two of these books, but they were both great.
I think this book was very good and a little scary. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes ghost and mystery stories. I assure you, you will love it. I have only read two of these books, but they were both great.
April 20, 2024
The first book in the series I read... and generally I liked it!
It's got a good dose of kids mischievous antics and a dose of comedy that had me chuckling in a few scenes and a good message of caring for nature. A lesson that sometimes both believers and secular folk alike often forget.
Although I must confess I seriously do not approve of what that girl and her friends did to the campers, there ARE other less underhanded ways to make people listen about caring for the naturally green areas of the woodlands.
It's got a good dose of kids mischievous antics and a dose of comedy that had me chuckling in a few scenes and a good message of caring for nature. A lesson that sometimes both believers and secular folk alike often forget.
Although I must confess I seriously do not approve of what that girl and her friends did to the campers, there ARE other less underhanded ways to make people listen about caring for the naturally green areas of the woodlands.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2016
Ricky and his friends are at camp and are busy playing pranks on each other. Ricky also to keep an eye on his younger brother who has a penchant for getting into trouble and disappearing. Also scary things have been happening at camp that are unusual. The boys learn about reverence for God and his protection and caring for his creation. This is a fun book for boys to read but I'm sure others will enjoy it too.
June 19, 2018
A church camping trip turns dangerous when it appears Ricky and his friends are camping in a haunted campground. But have they really angered an ancient tribe? Another excellent mystery that keeps you guessing until the end.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
August 3, 2015
Love this series for kids. The main reason is that the author never forgets to include God and prayer in the story. The more suspense and adventure in the story, all the more reason to have prayer time.
This was a particularly good book in the series, as the characters had no one to rely in their woods, except their faith in God.
This was a particularly good book in the series, as the characters had no one to rely in their woods, except their faith in God.
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January 15, 2009JM4 Bro
April 29, 2017
Re-read read-aloud with my niece- even though I'm no longer in the target age range, these books are as hilarious and enjoyable as I remembered them.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews