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Seth and Daniel grew up hearing the story of a boy who ran away to live - and die - in a cave on Black Spruce Mountain. Supposedly the boy has haunted Black Spruce for more than 75 years and his bones are still on the mountain. Now Seth and Daniel are on the camping trip of their dreams; hiking up the mountain to see if the old legend is true. Their adventure takes an unexpected turn when they discover the secrets Black Spruce holds.

The Bones on Black Spruce Mountain was read by John Gardiner
John Gardiner has spent the past two summers at St. Michael's Playhouse and performed such roles as: Sheriff Joe in The Spitfire Grill; Tony Lumpkin in She Stoops to Conquer; Barry in The Boys Next Door; & Arles, Vera, Petey (and seven other characters) in the two man show Greater Tuna. Outside of Vermont, John has played Henry in Gold Rush at New York's Promenade Theatre and, for the past two Decembers, played Young Scrooge in GEVA Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol, in Rochester, NY.

Some of Mr. Gardiner's Favorite Regional Theatre Credits: Ferdinand in The Tempest at Alabama Shakespeare Festival; Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar at Lakes Region Theatre (NH); Peter in The Diary of Anne Frank at Y.E.S. Festival (OH); & Frankie in Forever Plaid at Grand Biloxi Theatre (MS). In his free time, John enjoys snow skiing, good lasagna, and spoiling his niece and nephew: Caroline and David.

What do you think?

What does Black Spruce Mountain represent to the boys?

Do you think the story about a boy's bones on Black Spruce Mountain is true?

Why do you think Daniel and Seth's friendship becomes strained during the camping trip? Why do you think Daniel is acting the way he is?

Which character do most identify with? Describe and compare your own qualities with those of that character. How are you similar? How are you different? How would you react to the other boy's behavior?

Author David Budbill shares a lot of wilderness survival tips in the book. Did you learn something new about camping? What did you learn? Did anything surprise you?

What do you think is the message the author wants you to take away from this book? Do you think there's another important message to consider as well?

Fun & Adventure Beyond the Book

Author David Budbill is a well-known poet and playwright, but many people don't know he's also written children's books. You can learn more about Budbill and read some of his work on his website.

Don't you just love curling up to read a good mystery? Have you ever tried to write your own mystery? Give it a try! Mrs. Bertrand, a sixth grade teacher in Florence, Massachusetts has some tips for you on how to write a good mystery.

In addition to being a great story, The Bones on Black Spruce Mountain also teaches you a lot about how to survive in the wilderness. In the event you ever get lost in the woods, why not learn more survival tips? This website is an excellent resource for teaching you basic wilderness survival. You can also check with your state's agency of Natural Resources to see if they offer any programs in basic wilderness skills.

Author David Budbill lives in the shadow of a mountain like Black Spruce in northern Vermont. His love for the wilderness shines through in his writing. You can learn more about the mountains that inspire Budbill on websites from the Green Mountain Club and St. Michael's College.

Now that you're totally into ghost stories and mysteries, check out these ghost stories from around the country; they're perfect to tell around the campfire!



If You Like This Book, Check Out...

Grace Greene, from the Vermont Department of Libraries, says if you liked The Bones on Black Spruce Mountain, you’ll probably enjoy these books as well:


Other books by Budbill:

Snowshoe Trek to Otter Bay. Dial, 1976.
Three short stories relate the adventures of twelve-year-old Daniel and his friend Seth while camping in the woods alone and together.

Companion titles:

George, Jean Craighead. My Side of the Mountain. Dutton, 1959.
A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.

Hill, Kirkpatrick. Winter Camp. McElderry, 1993.
(sequel to Toughboy and Sister)
Eleven-year-old Toughboy and his younger sister must survive the harsh Alaskan winter at a friend's winter trapping camp.

Hobbs, Will. Wild Man Island. HarperCollins, 2002.
After fourteen-year-old Andy slips away from his kayaking group to visit the wilderness site of his archaeologist father's death, a storm strands him on Admiralty Island, Alaska, where he manages to survive, encounters unexpected animal and human inhabitants, and looks for traces of the earliest prehistoric immigrants to America.

Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet. Viking, 1988.
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.