The Forgotten Treasure continues the adventures of the Andrews family who, as the opening pages of this book remind us, are incapable of enjoying a normal family vacation. In previous volumes, they've encountered kidnapping, theft, plane crashes, and just about anything you can think of. And in every instance, their grounding in the principles of the Gospel and their knowledge of the scriptures see them through to safety.

The first book in the series brought the family to historic Nauvoo, where they first encountered the evil Dr. Anthony, who tried to steal a valuable Book of Mormon from the Andrews children, the intended recipients of the gift. Along the way, Andersen weaves instruction in both scripture and Church history, in a way easily understood by children. I commented at the time that making such knowledge enjoyable and accessible to young people was a wonderful idea, and well executed by the author.

Volumes two and three departed from the original model, taking the family to exotic and far-flung places. And while there were few explicit references to Church history sites, the principles of the Gospel were well taught, nicely used in moving the story along and presenting a solid model for the Latter-day Saint family.

The present volume, the fourth in the series, returns to the vision of the first -- this time, the family visits historic sites in Kirtland and Palmyra. I was very glad to see author Andersen revisit this idea, and the present effort is even better than the first. This time, the family journeys to Kirtland to explore their family roots, and to unravel a mystery concerning one of their ancestors. They uncover a document that may very well lead them to a valuable treasure.

But they are not the only ones interested in this treasure. Others want to get their hands on the loot, without really knowing what it was. The family visits the home of one of their ancestors, meeting the delightful older couple now living in the house who become a vital part of the story. I was delighted at the author's depiction of this wonderful non-Mormon couple, living in Kirtland, and ready to join in the Andrews family's quest for their roots.

The cast of characters in this volume is, in my opinion, richer and better developed than in the previous volumes. And there is an ongoing tension throughout the story -- although you suspect who the bad guys might be, you're never quite sure that you've gotten it right. And the action is exceptionally well written, in particular a harrowing episode at Niagara Falls that left me breathless.

As with the first volume, this entry is rich in historical detail and insights into the early days of the Church. As the Andrews family travels from one site to the next, the reader is treated to a virtual travelogue, enhanced by the sometimes learned and often humorous comments of the children.

This series continues to deliver a fine and valuable addition to the corpus of Mormon literature for young people. Once again, I'm glad to commend this book -- indeed, the entire series -- and hope these books enjoy a wide readership.

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Jeff Needle
July 6, 2004