I really disliked this book. Esther was not a compelling character. While the premise of trying to promote math through an enjoyable dialogue is a worthwhile endeavor, I don't believe this story did it well.

Esther, 12 years old can't wait to go to Camp Vermeer art camp. On her way, her stepdad takes her up the wrong mountain to a math camp! Camp Archimedes is not what she expected, but now has no choice. She wants to prove herself to the other campers, solves brain-teasers that are supposed to be very near impossible to solve and other campers are not happy about it! She starts to get mean notes and suddenly doesn't know who to trust. The whole thing feels like a riddle she can't solve!

Thank you #netgalley for a copy of this book to review. I am a fan of mysteries and try to get my hands on as many as I can. This book did not disappoint. I thought the story was a good fit for fifth grade. I liked going on the journey with the main character and seeing the growth along the way. I would recommend this book.

The Multiplying Mysteries of Mount Ten was written by Krista Van Dolzer. This book is a middle grade fictional novel set in modern times.
Summary: Twelve year old Esther can’t wait to attend art camp at Mount Veneer. She’s been dreaming about it for months. But a freak storm, and windy mountain roads lead to an unexpected detour, and instead, Esther ends up at math camp.
Soon Esther finds herself deep in a math mystery she is determined to solve. Will she be able to figure it out, and will she ever make it to art camp?
My Thoughts: I think that a middle school reader might enjoy this book. There is a very interesting premise, and I think a younger reader would enjoy trying to solve the mystery along with Esther.
However, I do not believe this book is one someone older would completely enjoy, and here is why-this book leaves many unanswered questions that never get explained or resolved. As an adult, that makes it difficult to say I enjoyed reading it, because I was left wondering what actually happened in several parts of the book (I don’t want to go into too much detail on the loose ends here, as it would ruin the story if you chose to read it.)
So, I would say if the middle schooler is one who just enjoys surface reads and likes helping solve a mystery, they are going to probably enjoy this read. If the reader is one who really likes to dig into a story, and wants all the loose ends tied up at the end of the story, they might find themselves a bit frustrated with this book.
Also, I have to say I found Esther to be quite rude and self-centered. I actually began feeling sorry for the other characters in the book, because she was always treating them so poorly.
It is kind of a shame too, because I could really see the potential with the creative theme to this story line, but it just came up short for me.
I would like to thank Bloomsbury Children’s Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

Krista Van Dolzer sets the stage on a dark and stormy night in this charming and mysterious middle reader. When Esther and her stepdad, Toby, take a seemingly wrong turn in the rain, landing them at Math Camp, instead of Art Camp, strange things begin to happen. Then, when campers start going missing and paper clues are found, it's up to Esther and Math Nerds to solve the mystery. Is there a murderer among them, or is it all one big logic problem? Will the one who solved the puzzle be the hero, or the next victim?

When Esther and her step-dad end up in a flash flood and have to walk to Esther's summer art camp they discover that somehow they ended up on the wrong mountain and are at a math camp instead. Stuck there at least until the truck is fixed Esther tries to make the best of it slowly making friends and even solving a difficult math problem. But when one of her new friends "leaves" without warning, mysterious clues start popping up, and then her step-dad disappears, Esther gets involved in what she thinks is a potential murder mystery. Can Esther crack the case before it's too late?

As a person who likes ciphers and logic problems I enjoyed this a lot. My concern will be in the solving of the actual logic problem. I read an arc so I am not sure if there will be a grid included to visually see the solution - it is hard just to read it.

On their way to art camp, Esther and her step-father get stranded at a summer camp in the mountains. Drenched and soggy with more rain in the forecast, they have no option but to stay... at least for a little while. Judging the camp negatively since it's a "math" camp, Esther never dreamed what adventure awaited her. Within 24 hours, Esther solves the "unsolvable" puzzle and finds herself drawn into the mystery that begins to unfold around her. A missing camper, mysterious clues written about mythological creatures, and a good gang of math nerds to hang out with make for a great week at camp.

The book is written in first person, and in my opinion, the stylistic choices help to make the The Multiplying Mysteries and Mount Ten a very unique and interesting book. It feels a little like I was being told a story by a young friend. Though the writing style and the plot, I was drawn into the story and hurriedly turned the pages to see what would happen next. Even as an adult, I found the story to be engaging and enjoyable, and I think my students will feel the same way.

From a teacher's perspective, The Multiplying Mysteries of Mount Ten is a great book. First, it is entertaining and humorous. Middle grade students will enjoy the mystery and the relationships between the characters. The plot is entertaining even when the characters get carried away by their imaginations. Second, it is a smart book. The references to artists, works of art, mathematical terms, and mythological creatures give students a chance to re-encounter these words in context. The main characters solve ciphers and logic puzzles; the author even explains them in a clear and simple way so that the reader can learn how to solve them on his or her own. Third, the characters have high relational aptitude. Though there are some interpersonal conflicts in the book, the kids are able to work them out and develop meaningful friendships along the way. They model healthy behaviors, mostly, for the middle-grade readers.

I received a copy of this book for free from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books through NetGalley. The opinions contained above are completely my own.

A fun puzzle story! Esther solves the first one with logic and a lucky guess. The second is a substitution cipher which is solved off page by other characters. The final puzzle is a logic puzzle, but Esther doesn't recognize that or know how to approach it until one of the other kids shows her. Readers should be able to try to work through all three on their own if they choose to, but don't have to if they just want to keep enjoying the story. I think kids will love this one!

A fun mystery with mind-bending puzzles.
Recommended for summer reading--I would've loved this as a kid.

Esther is a lovable main character who ends up at a math camp instead of art camp by mistake. The mystery that Esther uncovers at the camp will be sure to keep you reading. I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to my students.

Esther and her stepdad are driving up a treacherous mountain road so that she can go to art camp. They end up off the road and walking to the camp. But the camp they end up at isn't an art camp; it's a math camp. Some of the kids are okay with them being there but one girl is really upset. Because of the storms, Esther is stuck. She doesn't want to make the best of the situation but she sort of has to.
This book started off really well but went downhill after the first 1/3. The puzzles were interesting but the story was overwrought and didn't flow well.

Three stars
This book comes out April 9
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Dolzer's story of Esther and her experience at the wrong camp (have to say that being from Utah, driving up the wrong canyon really would not happen) is a little slow at the start but picks up speed as she discovers that math can be just as much fun as art and just as necessary. It's a unique take at seeing the divide between arts and sciences yet people can enjoy both equally.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

The Multiplying Mysteries of Mount Ten is a puzzle based middle grade novel centered around a group of children at Camp Archimedes math camp.  Esther, an artistic child on her way to Camp Vermeer art camp, finds herself stranded at a math camp when her step-father's truck gets stuck in the mud. At first, Esther is not happy to be a part of the "number crunchers", but as mysteries begin to unfold, she finds herself making friends as she solves riddles and unravels puzzles.

Esther is the main character in this story. She is funny, witty, and often sarcastic. She goes from not wanting to have anything to do with the math campers to sadness about leaving. Watching her grow throughout the book is interesting, although her character is not deeply developed.

I love mysteries, and math, so the two combined? This ought to be great! Unfortunately, reading this as an adult, I know too much about puzzles and math and I solved the clues way too quickly for the book to have much staying power for me.  I knew by the middle of the book how to go about solving the main puzzle, even though Esther didn't get there until almost the end. I think kids who don't have a lot of experience solving logic puzzles would find this much more enjoyable than I did.

If you have middle grade students, maybe 3rd or 4th grade, who like math, this would be a good suggestion for them. For older students, I think you might be better off with Chris Grabenstein's Mr. Lemoncello books which have more difficult puzzles to solve.

As a Mom I am looking for books that encourage reading as well as teaching. The Author uses the mystery at the summer camp as a way to introduce math and create math problems readers (Child and parents ) do not realize they are doing as the story progressive in a fun and unique way. Projects, quest, encoding and decoding puzzles that everyone will enjoy.



This is a must read for parents who have children who struggle with math and enjoyment of reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Bloomsbury Children's Books for advance copy of Krista Van Dolzer The Multiplying Mystery of Mount Ten

While I found this book a little slow, I think students would like the mystery behind it. This book would be best in grade 5 and up.

Ideal for an upper elementary school or lower middle school audience (possibly reading aloud), The Multiplying Mysteries of Mount Ten combined mystery with mathematics. Adults are likely to find the numerous plot holes frustrating, but readers within the suggested age bracket are far less likely to note them or find them aggravating. Younger readers might also find the main character more relatable -- this adult reader found her unpleasant, selfish, and alarmingly judgemental.