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The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande: From the Journals of Rudy McCafferty
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the mall...
"Even after finishing the book, I am still trying to get my breath back – and didn’t even realize the suspense of the story had me holding my breath! Richard Clark’s writing style, imagination and ability to execute the perfect plot in any story is what keeps me coming back to each and every one of his books, time and again." Readers' Favorite 5★ review
“With short chapters, snappy dialogue and an exciting ending, even a 12 year old boy is never going to be bored!” Wishing Shelf 5★ review
10-year-old Rudy McCafferty has a weird feeling about the new Loma Grande Mall. It’s just a little odd how it seems to bring inanimate things to life! Halfway around the world, archeologist C.J. Drake is sure he’s finally found the location of an ancient golden idol. But all signs suggest it is now in a little place in Southern California called Loma Grande. A place where a curious young boy investigates, frightened... but excited. A place totally unprepared for the magical power soon to be unleashed upon it…
If you like Harry Potter, Indiana Jones or Goosebumps , you'll love The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande ! From the writer of My Best Friend Is a Secret Agent , this middle grade chapter book is a fun adventure full of action and excitement for any reader - children, tweens, teens... and beyond! This thrilling ‘haunted mall’ story is the first in a series, so if you like it, there's more to come!
(Don't forget to look for the surprise after Chapter 1!)
"Even after finishing the book, I am still trying to get my breath back – and didn’t even realize the suspense of the story had me holding my breath! Richard Clark’s writing style, imagination and ability to execute the perfect plot in any story is what keeps me coming back to each and every one of his books, time and again." Readers' Favorite 5★ review
“With short chapters, snappy dialogue and an exciting ending, even a 12 year old boy is never going to be bored!” Wishing Shelf 5★ review
10-year-old Rudy McCafferty has a weird feeling about the new Loma Grande Mall. It’s just a little odd how it seems to bring inanimate things to life! Halfway around the world, archeologist C.J. Drake is sure he’s finally found the location of an ancient golden idol. But all signs suggest it is now in a little place in Southern California called Loma Grande. A place where a curious young boy investigates, frightened... but excited. A place totally unprepared for the magical power soon to be unleashed upon it…
If you like Harry Potter, Indiana Jones or Goosebumps , you'll love The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande ! From the writer of My Best Friend Is a Secret Agent , this middle grade chapter book is a fun adventure full of action and excitement for any reader - children, tweens, teens... and beyond! This thrilling ‘haunted mall’ story is the first in a series, so if you like it, there's more to come!
(Don't forget to look for the surprise after Chapter 1!)
94 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 2, 2016
88 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Richard Clark
13 books17 followersRichard Clark has written twelve middle grade and chapter books, one of which, My Best Friend Is a Secret Agent, was published worldwide by Wattpad Books in September, 2021, and its sequel will be published worldwide in the spring of 2023.
Richard has worked extensively as a screenwriter and story editor, both in Toronto and Los Angeles. His credits include writing or story-editing over 150 produced TV scripts for shows broadcast on the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, BBC, Netflix, CBC, CTV and many other networks around the world. He’s also developed shows for many production companies, written five TV movies for Showtime Networks and Lifetime Network, optioned several feature screenplays in Los Angeles, and worked as a director and editor. In 2010 he was nominated for both a Gemini Award (Canadian Emmy) and a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award, and in 2012 another WGC award.
In addition, Richard has taught screenwriting at Humber College and Sheridan College in Toronto.
Richard lives in Oakville, Ontario, with his wife and their 15-year-old twins… and he’s lived to tell the tale.
Richard has worked extensively as a screenwriter and story editor, both in Toronto and Los Angeles. His credits include writing or story-editing over 150 produced TV scripts for shows broadcast on the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, BBC, Netflix, CBC, CTV and many other networks around the world. He’s also developed shows for many production companies, written five TV movies for Showtime Networks and Lifetime Network, optioned several feature screenplays in Los Angeles, and worked as a director and editor. In 2010 he was nominated for both a Gemini Award (Canadian Emmy) and a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award, and in 2012 another WGC award.
In addition, Richard has taught screenwriting at Humber College and Sheridan College in Toronto.
Richard lives in Oakville, Ontario, with his wife and their 15-year-old twins… and he’s lived to tell the tale.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 16, 2018
This crazy adventure is another epic story by Richard Clark!
Half of this story is the actual adventure, while the other half is a journal. Having this dual point of view is a change from Richard's typical story telling, but I found it worked perfectly within the story. Following Rudy and the wild shenanigans he goes on fit really well bouncing back and forth. All three of the boys in this story are hilarious and fun to follow along this epic journey. It almost felt like a cartoon I'd watch on the weekends when I was off from school as a kid! This is super high quality writing!
The action in this story continues at an excellent pace that keeps the audience engaged. I feel that this book is perfect for the middle grade audience! Although, I might not use this as a bedtime story. It's so action packed that it seems like the perfect, middle of the day read to get everybody wanting to run and jump around! There's also some truly incredible suspense (for a middle grade novel!) that really enhanced the story overall. I didn't expect that from Richard Clark!
Some of the chapters are very short, yet they felt just long enough. The book is a light, soft read despite the exciting action among the pages. I would definitely recommend picking up this book if you're looking for an Indiana Jones type read for your children! The comedy, action and adventure will really catch your young readers!
Four out of five stars!
Half of this story is the actual adventure, while the other half is a journal. Having this dual point of view is a change from Richard's typical story telling, but I found it worked perfectly within the story. Following Rudy and the wild shenanigans he goes on fit really well bouncing back and forth. All three of the boys in this story are hilarious and fun to follow along this epic journey. It almost felt like a cartoon I'd watch on the weekends when I was off from school as a kid! This is super high quality writing!
The action in this story continues at an excellent pace that keeps the audience engaged. I feel that this book is perfect for the middle grade audience! Although, I might not use this as a bedtime story. It's so action packed that it seems like the perfect, middle of the day read to get everybody wanting to run and jump around! There's also some truly incredible suspense (for a middle grade novel!) that really enhanced the story overall. I didn't expect that from Richard Clark!
Some of the chapters are very short, yet they felt just long enough. The book is a light, soft read despite the exciting action among the pages. I would definitely recommend picking up this book if you're looking for an Indiana Jones type read for your children! The comedy, action and adventure will really catch your young readers!
Four out of five stars!
September 22, 2017
This is a fast-paced read for kids grade 5-7. The vocabulary is not too challenging, and the plot isn't overly complex. It kind of reads like the script for a Saturday morning cartoon. There's a gentle-but-not-didactic nudge toward the subjects of history, science and journalism, and there's no violence toward children, which I always appreciate.
January 6, 2017
The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande by Richard Clark begins with C.J. Drake and Arguelo who are on the hunt for relics in Machu Picchu. The one in particular they're looking for is gone, moved to Loma Grande in California, or so they suspect. Rudy McCafferty is a boy in this town, a fan of Drake's work. He wants to be like the world famous archaeologist and searches his town for relics. However, strange occurrences have begun happening in the new mall and it might be due to this mysterious relic.
I enjoyed Drake and Arguelo, however I wish those two's adventures were a bit more prominent; they obviously went through a lot of time and effort to get to Machu Picchu and then to Loma Grande, but not much of it is shown to us. Both of them also seem to be really great characters and I wish we just got to experience them further. Rudy McCafferty and Nick Nelson are the primary kid characters. Rudy is a wannabe archaeologist, taking inspiration from the Drake adventures he's read about in magazines. Nick is, in his words, an investigative reporter. I thought it kind of awkward that Rudy mocked him for filming things all the time, especially considering that it later became a prominent part of the story. Also, it's not as dorky as one might think it is; in this day and age, many people film all types of things.0 I like the interactions between C.J. and Rudy. I appreciate that archaeology is Rudy's passion and he takes an interest in finding new objects. However, I didn't really like how C.J. kind of put Rudy and Nick's lives in danger.
Ralph and his side kicks, Mike and Greg, don't play much real part in the story. As they're bullies, they have the automatic role as enemies to the main character. However, they mostly just act up and do generic bad teenager stuff. They don't have much real impact to the story and the book could have gone ahead without them, in my opinion. Emily McCafferty is Rudy's mother. To be honest, I kind of feel that she's really irresponsible mother. She knows that he's out getting up to trouble, but she doesn't do much about it. To me, it seems that she just doesn't care... Towards the end of the book, she knows that Rudy's getting himself into trouble but she doesn't do much to stop him from doing it. Especially considering that he might get hurt, or get someone else hurt... I'd like to touch on the character Ken, Emily's boyfriend. He is somewhat cliché; simply an enemy for the plot. The author has given us a lot of reasons to dislike him; town mayor, used car salesman, gets in Rudy's way all the time and even tells him off for improper behaviour. However, if you look at it from a realistic perspective, Ken isn't such a bad person; in most cases, he's just trying to make practical choices for people, even if the other characters don't think they want something like that. For example, he tries to teach Rudy about being a used car salesman. Sure, that's not what Rudy wants and thinks it's uncool, but Ken was trying to do something that he believed might improve Rudy's life and even hoped that the kid might grow up to take on the job as well later... He's later blamed for the fiasco at the mall, but I don't consider it to be his fault. In realistic circumstances, the actual location designation, research, and building of the mall would be the responsibility of others. As the mayor, he does have some say in it, but it wouldn't be his fault for these things. I just didn't understand their relationship, either. I know it was meant to seem as if it's some sort of forced relationship for appearance, but I didn't think it was really necessary.
The plot is fairly well developed. It has some fairly generic aspects, but I feel like it was pretty decent for a kid's book. I think it's a book that's appropriate for kids of any age. It's not overly complicated and some things, to escape proper explanation, are simply listed as things that the characters are too young to understand. I think that the format could have used a bit of fine tuning, now that I think of it. The premise is that the book is written using the journals of Rudy McCafferty. However, a lot of the content doesn't come from his journals, such as the Drake adventures and many of the curse goings on at the mall. He simply writes about a few of these things later. It's kind of weird to read about some these things as they happen and then have other events written by Rudy in this journal, especially when Rudy's version is kind of poorly summed up.
Overall, many of the characters are kind of cliché such as the bullies and Ken. However, I like the relationship between C.J. and Rudy, despite the fact that Drake sometimes puts the kids' lives in danger. I think that many scenes and plot events could have been better explained and expanded. However, despite my problems with it, I do think that it was a fairly good book and I enjoyed it a lot. If there were more, I would be happy to read any further instalments and I think it would make a great series!
I got a free copy from Smashwords and this is an honest review.
I enjoyed Drake and Arguelo, however I wish those two's adventures were a bit more prominent; they obviously went through a lot of time and effort to get to Machu Picchu and then to Loma Grande, but not much of it is shown to us. Both of them also seem to be really great characters and I wish we just got to experience them further. Rudy McCafferty and Nick Nelson are the primary kid characters. Rudy is a wannabe archaeologist, taking inspiration from the Drake adventures he's read about in magazines. Nick is, in his words, an investigative reporter. I thought it kind of awkward that Rudy mocked him for filming things all the time, especially considering that it later became a prominent part of the story. Also, it's not as dorky as one might think it is; in this day and age, many people film all types of things.0 I like the interactions between C.J. and Rudy. I appreciate that archaeology is Rudy's passion and he takes an interest in finding new objects. However, I didn't really like how C.J. kind of put Rudy and Nick's lives in danger.
Ralph and his side kicks, Mike and Greg, don't play much real part in the story. As they're bullies, they have the automatic role as enemies to the main character. However, they mostly just act up and do generic bad teenager stuff. They don't have much real impact to the story and the book could have gone ahead without them, in my opinion. Emily McCafferty is Rudy's mother. To be honest, I kind of feel that she's really irresponsible mother. She knows that he's out getting up to trouble, but she doesn't do much about it. To me, it seems that she just doesn't care... Towards the end of the book, she knows that Rudy's getting himself into trouble but she doesn't do much to stop him from doing it. Especially considering that he might get hurt, or get someone else hurt... I'd like to touch on the character Ken, Emily's boyfriend. He is somewhat cliché; simply an enemy for the plot. The author has given us a lot of reasons to dislike him; town mayor, used car salesman, gets in Rudy's way all the time and even tells him off for improper behaviour. However, if you look at it from a realistic perspective, Ken isn't such a bad person; in most cases, he's just trying to make practical choices for people, even if the other characters don't think they want something like that. For example, he tries to teach Rudy about being a used car salesman. Sure, that's not what Rudy wants and thinks it's uncool, but Ken was trying to do something that he believed might improve Rudy's life and even hoped that the kid might grow up to take on the job as well later... He's later blamed for the fiasco at the mall, but I don't consider it to be his fault. In realistic circumstances, the actual location designation, research, and building of the mall would be the responsibility of others. As the mayor, he does have some say in it, but it wouldn't be his fault for these things. I just didn't understand their relationship, either. I know it was meant to seem as if it's some sort of forced relationship for appearance, but I didn't think it was really necessary.
The plot is fairly well developed. It has some fairly generic aspects, but I feel like it was pretty decent for a kid's book. I think it's a book that's appropriate for kids of any age. It's not overly complicated and some things, to escape proper explanation, are simply listed as things that the characters are too young to understand. I think that the format could have used a bit of fine tuning, now that I think of it. The premise is that the book is written using the journals of Rudy McCafferty. However, a lot of the content doesn't come from his journals, such as the Drake adventures and many of the curse goings on at the mall. He simply writes about a few of these things later. It's kind of weird to read about some these things as they happen and then have other events written by Rudy in this journal, especially when Rudy's version is kind of poorly summed up.
Overall, many of the characters are kind of cliché such as the bullies and Ken. However, I like the relationship between C.J. and Rudy, despite the fact that Drake sometimes puts the kids' lives in danger. I think that many scenes and plot events could have been better explained and expanded. However, despite my problems with it, I do think that it was a fairly good book and I enjoyed it a lot. If there were more, I would be happy to read any further instalments and I think it would make a great series!
I got a free copy from Smashwords and this is an honest review.
April 21, 2017
When an ancient artifact with mysterious powers goes missing from The Shrine of Atahuelpa in Peru, Archaeologist C.J. Drake and his assistant, Arguelo, track it to California. As Drake’s biggest fan, ten year old Rudy McCafferty of Loma Grande, while trying to figure out what to write for his new journal assignment, befriends budding cinematographer, Nick Nelson. Together, the boys are excited when they find a skull embedded in the side of the storm drain underneath the town’s new shopping complex. They return to the site, looking for answers, but Rudy discovers a stone tablet covered in hieroglyphs instead, foretelling a number of disasters within the mall. With each one threatening people’s lives, Rudy seeks out his favorite archaeologist in the hopes that, together, they can stop the Apocalypse.
In yet another blockbuster adventure from Richard Clark, the suspense and action was free-flowing from start to end. I love the fact that I don’t need fast cars or rollercoasters in order to get such a euphoric thrill. From curses to ancient treasures, The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande is cleverly written, bouncing back and forth between an archaeologist’s determination to find a stolen artifact, and a boy whose dreams come alive, while uncovering more than he could have ever imagined. Even after finishing the book, I am still trying to get my breath back – and didn’t even realize the suspense of the story had me holding my breath! Richard Clark’s writing style, imagination and ability to execute the perfect plot in any story is what keeps me coming back to each and every one of his books, time and again. I will be tucking this particular gem into my bookcase tonight, and wholeheartedly recommend The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande to readers aged between 7-12 who enjoy the action-packed, fast-paced thrill of journeys into the unknown.
- Rosie Malezer for Readers’ Favorite
In yet another blockbuster adventure from Richard Clark, the suspense and action was free-flowing from start to end. I love the fact that I don’t need fast cars or rollercoasters in order to get such a euphoric thrill. From curses to ancient treasures, The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande is cleverly written, bouncing back and forth between an archaeologist’s determination to find a stolen artifact, and a boy whose dreams come alive, while uncovering more than he could have ever imagined. Even after finishing the book, I am still trying to get my breath back – and didn’t even realize the suspense of the story had me holding my breath! Richard Clark’s writing style, imagination and ability to execute the perfect plot in any story is what keeps me coming back to each and every one of his books, time and again. I will be tucking this particular gem into my bookcase tonight, and wholeheartedly recommend The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande to readers aged between 7-12 who enjoy the action-packed, fast-paced thrill of journeys into the unknown.
- Rosie Malezer for Readers’ Favorite
February 27, 2017
Rudy McCafferty is a fifth-grader who is just trying to get through life and school with as few problems as possible. He tries to stay out of the way of a few local bullies and his mother’s obnoxious boyfriend. To do this, Rudy spends his free time digging in the caves below the new Loma Grande mall. His dream is to become an archaeologist one day like his idol C.J. Drake. Little does Rudy know he’ll soon get the chance to meet the famous Drake AND get a shot at finding an important piece of archaeological treasure.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande. There is so much for middle graders (and adults) to like. The author has captured the voice of a ten-year-old boy extremely well. It’s not a long book, but there’s plenty of action, adventure and suspense to keep kids reading along. Rudy McCafferty’s character is genuinely likable and relatable. I highly recommend this book!
5 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton, http://diymomblog.blogspot.com
I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande. There is so much for middle graders (and adults) to like. The author has captured the voice of a ten-year-old boy extremely well. It’s not a long book, but there’s plenty of action, adventure and suspense to keep kids reading along. Rudy McCafferty’s character is genuinely likable and relatable. I highly recommend this book!
5 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton, http://diymomblog.blogspot.com
August 20, 2017
A WISHING SHELF BOOK REVIEW
20th August, 2017
TITLE: The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande
AUTHOR: Richard Clark
Star Rating: *****
‘A thrilling adventure story! If you like ‘SHOCKS’ on every page, this is for you.’ Wishing Shelf
REVIEW
I do enjoy a good adventure and this is what this is. Richard Clark, the author, has plotted a fun and, often, very exciting children’s novel. But not only that, he’s given the reader an array of interesting characters to follow (I liked Drake the best), and framed everything in an accessible style of writing.
The story follows the adventure of Rudy McCafferty, a boy of ten who dreams of one day becoming an archaeologist like the famous C J Drake. Facing an unhappy home and school-life, he spends much of his time in a cave under Loma Grande Mall; and, it’s here, that his adventure begins! Regarding the plot, a lot happens in this short book. The author seems to know his young readers well, and, subsequently, knows he must keep the story moving and pack it full of twists and turns to keep the reader turning the page. With short chapters, snappy dialogue and an exciting ending, even a 12 year old boy is never going to be bored!
I was particularly impressed by the style of writing. Many authors tend to describe setting and characters in hefty lumps of text. This might work for adult novels but it can kill a children’s book. Thankfully, this author is wise to this, cleverly mixing up speech, exciting deeds and the describing of character and setting. Subsequently, the writing felt light and not at all like wading through cauliflower-cheese. And, where there is description, it is imaginatively written.
So, would I recommend this story? Yes, absolutely. Any child, approx. 8 - 13 would love this thrilling story of magic and spine-chilling adventure. In fact, I’d go as far as to say it would make the perfect gift for any reluctant reader (particularly a boy).
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk
20th August, 2017
TITLE: The Lost Treasure of Loma Grande
AUTHOR: Richard Clark
Star Rating: *****
‘A thrilling adventure story! If you like ‘SHOCKS’ on every page, this is for you.’ Wishing Shelf
REVIEW
I do enjoy a good adventure and this is what this is. Richard Clark, the author, has plotted a fun and, often, very exciting children’s novel. But not only that, he’s given the reader an array of interesting characters to follow (I liked Drake the best), and framed everything in an accessible style of writing.
The story follows the adventure of Rudy McCafferty, a boy of ten who dreams of one day becoming an archaeologist like the famous C J Drake. Facing an unhappy home and school-life, he spends much of his time in a cave under Loma Grande Mall; and, it’s here, that his adventure begins! Regarding the plot, a lot happens in this short book. The author seems to know his young readers well, and, subsequently, knows he must keep the story moving and pack it full of twists and turns to keep the reader turning the page. With short chapters, snappy dialogue and an exciting ending, even a 12 year old boy is never going to be bored!
I was particularly impressed by the style of writing. Many authors tend to describe setting and characters in hefty lumps of text. This might work for adult novels but it can kill a children’s book. Thankfully, this author is wise to this, cleverly mixing up speech, exciting deeds and the describing of character and setting. Subsequently, the writing felt light and not at all like wading through cauliflower-cheese. And, where there is description, it is imaginatively written.
So, would I recommend this story? Yes, absolutely. Any child, approx. 8 - 13 would love this thrilling story of magic and spine-chilling adventure. In fact, I’d go as far as to say it would make the perfect gift for any reluctant reader (particularly a boy).
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk
September 5, 2018
This is the best book you will ever read in your life
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews