Mystery in Rocky Mountain National Park

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2022

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-7

Chapters 8-14

Chapters 15-24

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is the story’s setting, as well as its central motif. RMNP illuminates the power of Finding Freedom Through Adventure, as demonstrated by Jake, Wes, and Amber’s formative experiences of independence and teamwork and Abe’s discovery of the power of exploration to provide a sense of freedom for an individual. Illustrations are cast throughout the story to add a visual layer to the reader’s experience of this extraordinary natural environment, with its endless mountains, waterfalls, creeks, and meadows. When he first arrives, Jake is instantly taken in by RMNP and feels like it is calling out to him. This is partly because of the landscape’s beauty and partly because being at RMNP is one way in which Jake is Connecting to One’s Family Legacy. His great-great-grandpa built trails while his grandpa explored the parks in search of something, and now Jake is doing the same. At times, the landscape almost comes alive and takes on a spirit of its own—one founded on risk, curiosity, and the need for experience: “Mountains ain’t piles of rock, Abe. They’ve got a life of their own, stirring up their own weather and shaking off anything that don’t belong. […] I don’t mean to scare ya. I just mean to say that mountains like Longs Peak, they demand our respect” (155). Jake, Wes, and Amber overcome fears, learn The Power of Sharing Responsibility, and discover what they are made of during their time in RMNP.

The Spearhead

The spearhead is important for its symbolism in the story and a relic from the ancient past discovered by Jake’s great-great-grandpa Abe in 1880. It is supposedly made of pure silver from the moon and carries with it a legend of a partner spearhead. Together, these spears hold the key to some important treasure or place. Abe discovers the spearhead after seeing two men (who stole it) burying it by a creek. They spot and capture him, and he later escapes and finds it. Abe takes the spearhead, risking the possibility of being pursued. Because the spearhead is said to lead to a treasure, it is worth an immeasurable fortune, and whoever is its “Keeper” is pursued by those who want that power. The spearhead symbolizes Connecting to One’s Family Legacy because Jake is granted the spearhead after it is determined by his grandpa and some others that Jake can be trusted with it. He discovers that his great-great-grandpa was the original Keeper when he finds Abe’s leather journal and comes across the sketch of the arrowhead. It is covered in wavy lines, which Abe believed were carved into it and which seemed to be leading somewhere.

The Scrapbook

The scrapbook is a key symbol in the story and in Jake’s life and family history. Jake discovers the scrapbook using clues in a letter from his grandpa, and it is a welcome and extraordinarily meaningful gift from a person Jake deeply admired and misses. Jake’s grandpa knew him well and was sure he could solve the clue in his note without much effort. Jake finds the scrapbook in a secret compartment in the attic, indicating that it must be of the utmost importance. It is leather-bound and has an Old English-style “E” on its cover. Inside the scrapbook are photos dating back to the late 1800s, when Jake’s great-great-grandfather Abe first began creating it. He passed the scrapbook on to Jake’s grandpa, who then passed it on to him. The scrapbook is thus the primary method through which Jake is still Connecting to One’s Family Legacy, and it is filled with clues that aid in the scavenger hunt across the country’s national parks. There are photos of Abe, Jake’s grandpa and father, and all sorts of interesting places. Jake treasures the scrapbook and wants to keep it for himself at first, but he quickly learns The Power of Sharing Responsibility and it becomes a shared gift among Jake, Wes, and Amber.

Maps

Maps are an important motif in the story, used to add realism, practicality, and educational information to the kids’ adventures, as well as to help emphasize The Power of Sharing Responsibility and Finding Freedom Through Adventure. Some maps are included for the reader’s sake to clarify navigational plans and add a visual component to descriptions of locations, while at other times, Jake, Wes, and Amber use a topographical map to find their way around Rocky Mountain National Park. Jake’s grandpa plotted out the 10 parks that the Evans family would visit, and a visual map is illustrated by the author to show where these parks are in the United States, as well as the family’s planned route. Jake receives the topographical map from a kind ranger at RMNP, and it becomes an essential tool for finding each clue in his scavenger hunt. Not only do the kids use the map to create itineraries and determine routes, but they also use it to solve clues, like the arrows on the floor in the mountain man’s cabin. By sharing responsibility and working as a team to use this key tool, the trio gains confidence in themselves and their independence. As they explore the park using this map, they discover that freedom is found through curiosity and a sense of adventure.