CRATER LAKE BATTLE FOR WIZARD ISLAND by STEVE WESTOVER

While visiting his crazy Uncle Bart at Crater Lake National Park, thirteen-year-old Ethan's world collapses when all the adults at Crater Lake disappear, including his parents. Now Ethan must rally his new friends and decipher the legends of Crater Lake to find the key to rescuing his parents from their earthen prison before he s captured too and their captivity becomes permanent.

Ethan is reluctantly planning to spend some time at Crater Lake with his Crazy Uncle Bart, the park ranger. When the family arrives Uncle Bart tells them the legend of Crater Lake, which Ethan ignores. Ethan's family stay and take the kids on a hike, where they are joined by Allie's family.  While the kids are exploring their parents are sucked into the ground. Jacob and Brady are Boy Scouts, whose whole troop disappears.

All of the people over 16 have disappeared from Crater Lake, leaving 5 kids, Ethan, Jordan, Allie, Jacob and Brady alone, with Che-tan a young Indian Boy who claims to have the key to rescuing their parents. He claims to want to help them (or does he?). Che-tan, they learn, can split into 4 birds.

Che-tan tells them how to find the key to release their families from the underworld prison. During their adventure the kids meet all kinds of challenges, they get separated, they fight zombies, they loose a friend.

Crater Lake Battle for Wizard Island by Steve Westover is written for young readers, but it grabbed my interest early on and when it ended it left me wanting more.

I would recommend this books for anyone from 9 years old and up to adult.

You can find Crater Lake at www.amazon.com in paper and Kindle, www.deseretbook.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, in paper and Nook. As always you can also check with your local library for inter library loan.