This is a great mystery and adventure story for middle grades to early teens. Lucas's father was killed in action in Afghanistan, and he lives with his grandparents on a mountain in a small town in WV where the family has long bed for generations. His grandmother sends him to Camp Kawani, a camp for kids who have lost a parent. He meets two boys who he begins to bind with. While there, they learn about the local legend of Thomas Jefferson Beale who supposedly buried a fortune in gold and silver. The location, treasure and families to whom the treasure belongs are in three ciphers. The second, the treasure, was uncoded using the Declaration of Independence. But the who and where aren't known. Lucas, eager to save his family's mountain home, convinces his new friends to search with him.

This is a fun story but also touches on deeper elements of loss, grief and what truly is important.

A quick read, but an enjoyable and engaging one.

I really liked this mystery story about a boy dealing with the loss of his father by going to camp. It turns out there is a story about the wilderness area near the camp that there is buried treasure and Lucas could sure use the treasure to help out his grandparents who are considering selling their mountain home. This story touched on some big social issues-bullying, overdevelopment, death of a parent, war losses) that will make a favorite in schools.

This title surprised me - I wasn't sure I would enjoy it. In the end, I really liked the characters and the overall story. I would recommend this title to others.

Throughly enjoyed this book. Although I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was plasently surprised by the ending. Great middle school book, dealing with loss and a mystery. Enjoyable as an adult, and I'm sure it will be enjoyable for the audience it was intended for.

This is an excellent, fun, exciting, and emotionally-compelling middle-grade book. The story grabbed me from the first page. The mystery was fascinating--a lost treasure that was based on real life facts. The main character was compelling and most of the characters felt real to me. There was good humor in spots, moments that involved the emotions and made us care deeply about these boys, action was excellent and the book was well-written. Well done! Thank you so much to Netgalley for an advance look at this novel which I highly recommend to young readers.

Lucas lives with his grandparents. Not by choice, though he does love their place on the mountain. After his Dad dies in Afghanistan, Lucas only has his grandparents and the mountain. But his grandparents are struggling, and despite his Dad's final wish, they will sell the mountain. Now packed off to a camp for a week with other children like himself, Lucas sees little hope of seeing his mountain again. But then he hears about the buried treasure. Is it just a legend or could Lucas be the one to finally crack the code and find the treasure?

The Lost Cipher written by Michael Oechsle weaves legend, adventure, and loss together in a fantastic tale of treasure and friendship. Strong male characters will appeal to boys as well as the idea of lost treasure, codes, and mountainous adventures. A fun tale to read as summer approaches and children will be playing outside. Based on a true story of buried treasure, this book is sure to have children writing codes of their own and searching gold. Appropriate for children ages 9 and up.

Thank you to Net Galley and Albert Whitman and Company for a reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the adventure, mystery, and suspense in "The Lost Cipher". This will be a book that my students will love to read and share! The characters were interesting and relatable. I especially loved George! His resilience and sense of humor made him very lovable.

I expected the excitement and treasure hunting to get started a bit sooner, but there was enough going on in the beginning of the book to keep me interested in reading on. The language was fairly mild, though I think the few swear words could have easily been replaced.

I'm very excited to get a copy of this to put in my classroom library. I can already think of several students (and teachers!) that I will recommend this book to!

A boy who has lost a parent... a camp for those suffering from grief... and a treasure that could save the day...

The Lost Cipher is one book that deals with a lot of life's issues. From grief and the loss of a parent to being judged by the way you look or where you are from, the beautifully written adventure reminds us that we can overcome anything if we believe we can. I enjoyed the fun diverse character from our main character Lucas to his new friends George and Alex. All of them had their own distinct personalities and their own challenges. Great up to the very end with a surprise twist I didn't see coming...

I liked this book a lot! It was interesting and fun. I liked the characters and the story. The writing was also really nice. I give this book 3.5/5 stars.

After Lucas' father dies in Afghanistan, he is invited to a camp in the Blur Ridge Mountains. Despite the counselors many warnings about the foolishness of treasure hunting the old Beale Cipher treasure, Lucas convinces two of his camp mates to strike out after he thinks he sees something while their group is out hiking.