The Mystery of the Ancient Stone City

by Christine Z. Mason

Thirteen-year-old Sidney Jacobsen thought that when she flew to a Pacific island to live with her family for a year, she would be spending her time solving one of the greatest mysteries of all time—who built the ancient, enormous stone city of Nan Madol. Giants? Godlike creatures from another planet? After a dangerous trek through the jungle with her brother and an island boy, an amazing find provides a clue.

A reader's guide is included with this book.

196 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2011

About the author

I was born in Chicago but grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from UCLA with a degree in English Literature and attended UCLA English Graduate School before joining the Peace Corps in Micronesia. On the island of Pohnpei, I taught Art and Photography at the Community College of Micronesia as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Afterwards I attended law school at University of California at Davis, then practiced appellate and constitutional law, doing juvenile, felony and capital appeals as well as trial work. I am now a full-time writer living in northern California. I've published short fiction, a children's adventure novel set in Micronesia, The Mystery of the Ancient Stone City and Boundaries: A Love Story. Weighing the Truth, my newest novel, is a character-driven legal suspense story about a female death penalty attorney facing personal challenges and increasing danger.
Besides writing and reading, I enjoy painting, photography, and hiking in the redwoods.

Reviews

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully engaging coming of age story that is also full of adventure and just a wee touch of budding romance. When Thirteen tear old, Sydney and her family move to Pohnpei, she can't wait to explore, particularly the island of Nan Madol where ancient mysteries abound. But visitors are not welcome in this sacred place, so when Sidney, her little brother, Pete, and their native guide, Jarbo, accidently crash their small boat on the island, big trouble ensues.

The author has extensive knowledge of the area and the people, and it shows in her protrayals of the native people and their customs, thoughout the story. The characters are quite endearing, and the story is well thought out and fast-paced. Though intended for a much younger audience, I found it a delightful and enchanting read.