The Lake Lights

Author: William D. Burt
Genre: YA/Mystery/Suspense
Series: The Creation Seekers # 1

What are the mysterious lights flitting above Oregon's Oswego Lake on moonlit nights? Marsh gas? Ball lightning? Holdovers from the dawn of Creation? Or not-so-mythical creatures slinking in the shadows of half-remembered Scottish legends?

When young Jonathan Oliver makes it his personal project to track down the source of the elusive Lake Lights, his search takes him to Iron Mountain’s abandoned Prosser Mine and its whispered, age-old secrets. After his brilliant physicist father is kidnapped by Taliban insurgents in the wilds of Afghanistan, a grieving Jon is left to decode a cryptic message leading to yet more mysteries and a remarkable, game-changing invention.

While Jon and his grandfather concoct their own contraption to explore the Prosser Mine, they must also match wits with a devious, unscrupulous scientist who will stop at nothing to steal the device Jon has found and sell it to a shadowy criminal organization. Jon’s dual discoveries not only help him to deliver his city from total annihilation but also ultimately rock the scientific world to its very foundations.

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Reviewer: Camille Murray

This is a great book for middle school readers! I enjoyed the unique combination of adventure, creation science, science fiction, and faith. (And of course riding a Pteranodon is every kid's dream...)

I really didn't expect a kid's book to have such an unexpected twist at the end, but The Lake Lights surprised me.

Overall, I enjoyed the read, and I can honestly say I have never read a book quite like this.

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Reviewer: Jane Mouttet

There is much to like about The Lake Lights - mystery, strange creatures, science, a main character with dyslexia, a code to break, and international crime. The book contains a lot of science - particularly physics and paleontology - I cannot comment of the accuracy of the scientific content. While there is a lot of science - it is all important to the plot and is not presented in way that would overpower the story. It is more about the story than the science.

The mystery and intrigue aspects of the book appear to be well-thought out. I appreciate that the characters, especially Jon, show growth over the course of the story. I also like the fact that Jon and his grandfather are willing to stand up for their Christian beliefs even in the face of criticism and mockery.

Are there still dinosaurs or prehistoric creatures alive today? I’d like to believe so and I don’t think I am alone. William Burt includes mysterious creatures in this interesting story which turn out to be Pterosaurs with a luminescent capabilities. There are many aspects to the plot of The Lake Lights which are all neatly tied up at the end of the story. I look forward to reading more books in the Creation Seekers series.

I think this story will appeal to those in grades 5 and up - especially those with an interest in science, paleontology, and creationism. Those who struggle with dyslexia may also be encouraged to find a book character who struggles with it as well. I would not hesitate to place this book in my K-12 Christian School library.

I want to thank Interviews & Reviews and author William Burt for the complimentary e-copy of The Lake Lights.  

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