Concealed within the Award-Winning Devil Backbone series of books by James Babb are clues to a hidden treasure. The hunt for this secreted cache begins on October 1st, 2017, with the public release of the final book, The Devil’s Den. Readers can get a head start for this exciting hunt, though, by reading the previous two books of the series now, The Devil’s Backbone and The Devil’s Trap. Book 2 (The Devil’s Trap) definitely holds some clues to the treasure.
The books are adventurous reads. James has a wonderful and creative style which lures you right into the action-packed stories. And since they are Juvenile fiction, they provide a great way to get the whole family involved in a treasure hunt. On James’ website, he shares how he once was a reluctant young reader, and so writes with those readers in mind. He readily captures young (and older) hearts by crafting highly relatable characters and providing lots of thrills! It is easy to see why his books are award winning.
Within the Devil Backbone stories, Brody and Todd (main characters in the books), hide a wooden crate filled with various items. These items are held very special to Brody and Todd, and it is this ‘treasure box’ you seek.
The treasure is hidden in Fort Smith, Arkansas. It is where Brody and Todd hid it in 1881. And so by reading the books, following the characters movements, and recognizing clues within the text, you can deduce where the valuable cache is located today. James warns us, however, that a lot has changed since 1881 in Fort Smith. He reminds us that landscapes have changed, and so to keep that in mind. But Brody’s and Todd’s Treasure is still there, and if you find it first, you get to keep what is inside!
So what is inside this secreted cache? About $800 dollars worth of prizes. Some of the items to find are a Double Eagle gold coin (replica), old map of Fort Smith, fur pelt, marbles, arrowhead, and a piece of Arkansas crystal. Not specifically found in the box, but prizes to the winner, is a school pizza party and signed book!
It’s an awesome cache. What is so wonderful about the hunt too, is that even after the treasure is found by the ‘first someone’, the treasure box remains for other finders to come along, find, and log in. Pictures of finders will be posted on James website if sent in to him. It’s similar to a geocache. People are welcome to put in and trade out items from this cache. The treasure hunt never ends!
What an exciting way to get young and old reading, learning about history, and out exploring!
That in itself is Treasure! And the best kind!
And it should be mentioned, James is offering fantastic ‘giveaways’ before launch of The Devil’s Den.
Follow his Facebook Page, Twitter, or Blog for additional details. Scheduled giveaways for the first book (The Devil’s Backbone) are as follows:
September 17th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, 27th, and the 29th.
A knife will be given away on September 25th.
AND a trip to Fort Smith with other prizes will be given away on October 1st!
To have a chance at winning these items, all one must do is like or follow James Posts to be put into a random drawing for the prizes. (click HERE to go to site and ENTER!)
Best of luck to all!