The Bone Map

by E.B. Wheeler

If Huang-Fu doesn’t find gold, he won’t make it out of the Utah desert alive.

Huang-Fu just wants to survive his job digging for gold with Eugene Hansen so he can go home to California or maybe even China. But when outlaws shoot Eugene, the old prospector sends Huang-Fu running with a map carved in bone. The map may lead Huang-Fu to an incredible treasure, but everyone else who carried the map has died. The outlaws are on his trail, and his only allies also want the treasure. Can Huang-Fu solve the mystery of the bone map and survive its curse?

Fans of Treasure Island will enjoy this mystery-adventure for boys and girls set among the gold miners, gunslingers, and Pony Express riders of the Old West.

ATOS level 5.1 (Lexile approx. 800)

Genres: Historical Fiction

146 pages, Paperback

Published April 23, 2019

About the author

E.B. Wheeler attended BYU, majoring in history with an English minor, and earned graduate degrees in history and landscape architecture from Utah State University. She's the award-winning author of THE HAUNTING OF SPRINGETT HALL, BORN TO TREASON, and NO PEACE WITH THE DAWN, as well as several short stories, magazine articles, and scripts for educational software programs. She was named the 2016 Writer of the Year by the League of Utah Writers. In addition to writing, she consults about historic preservation and teaches history at USU. She lives in the mountains of Utah with her family, various pets, and as many antique roses as she can cram into her yard. If she had spare time, she would spend it playing harp and hammered dulcimer, gardening, hiking, shooting archery, knitting, and reading.

Reviews

[A.L. Sowards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book with my daughters and they loved it. It’s about Huang-Fu, a young Chinese immigrant in Utah who gets taken by outlaws and forced into a search for a gold mine—one with legendary treasure and a curse. This was a great adventure for middle-grade readers, with just enough of a spooky factor for that age group. I enjoyed the history and the diversity of the characters. I definitely recommend it. 4.5 stars, rounding up for goodreads.

[Jodi Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real treasure

I read this story because I am a fan of the author’s historical fiction books. What a great little treasure this book is. I think my sixth grader is going to love it. The story is a great adventure that is easy to follow, yet packed with historical information about the time and setting. I love the diverse main characters, the Chinese boy, Huang-Fu, is especially endearing.

This is well done, enjoyable, and satisfying to read!

[Janeal Falor · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter read this book. She thinks it's the best book. She loved it, and felt like she was in the book.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, engaging story. I was a bit confused by the cartoon-y cover. It made me think the book was going to be for younger kids than I think it was aimed at. Still, it is one I will encourage my kids to read.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids loved it!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge Emily Wheeler fan, and although I don't usually love middle grade, I did in her hands. Great details, rich characters, historical research--loved it.

[Becca McCulloch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read aloud novel. My kids loved this one. They followed the story wel and bonded with the characters readily. Fun times for all of us.

[Teresa Osgood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book from the Summer Book Trek! It's a good story about a young Chinese immigrant meeting the people and legends that made the state of Utah what it is. But the cultural details and snippets of faith don't get in the way of a tense story of prospectors, thieves, and a dangerous treasure. The only complaints I have are about the cover. While the story is certainly appropriate for anyone to read, the characters are not as childish or cartoonish as the illustration implies.