The Marked Stones
Eli Calloway Mystery
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Pub Date May 29 2026 | Archive Date Oct 4 2026
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Description
A hidden map. An old journal. A mystery buried in the Alabama woods.
When eleven-year-old Eli Calloway finds a map inside his grandfather’s old field journal, he knows it means something. By the next morning, he is deep in Forsyth Woods, chasing clues his grandfather left behind years ago.
What Eli finds is bigger than he expected: a hidden chamber, stone walls, ancient artifacts, and two empty spaces where something used to be. Someone got there first.
Now someone is marking the land, covering their tracks, and counting on the people of Redbud, Alabama to overlook what is happening right under their noses. They haven’t met Eli yet.
Advance Praise
A mystery-filled journey full of twists, turns, family legacy, courage, and tenacity. Eleven-year-old Eli Calloway is an intriguing main character who does not disappoint. Readers will not want to put this book down. -Sheryl McKinley, Educator with 25+ years of teaching experience
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9798995190974 |
| PRICE | $2.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 120 |
Links
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Average rating from 1 member
Featured Reviews
Julianne H, Reviewer
An exciting adventure of historical discovery for all coming of age boys featuring strong morals, principles, and life lessons!
T.L. Lolley- an archaeologist in real life!- draws on his personal experience to prove words matter, adventures can be slow, discoveries need to be given due attention, and writing scrupulous notes means no detail will be forgotten.
Eleven-year-old Eli Calloway learns the local discovery he heard about in town was detailed by his grandfather in a notebook he now owns. The unusual finding is in Forsyth Woods, just past his backyard- the woods he has spent countless hours exploring throughout his childhood. How could he have missed it? Compelled, Eli determines to set out toward The Marked Stones to see them for himself. Along the way, Eli practices great habits like time management, mapping, note taking, and listening to the world around him. He sees the value of getting factual information, not making assumptions, and double checking facts, passing those same tips on to readers. Eli finds the same historical cache his grandfather did 40 years before, but it is not how his grandfather left it. Someone's been here and they're not being careful or protecting the site. Does Eli have a responsibility to protect it like his grandfather did? Will the unknown thief find Eli and keep him silent?
The Marked Stones is a tale of mysterious adventure, perfect for pre-teens and above with 6-9th grade reading levels. My 3rd grade son loved listening to me read to this story and was able to answer (my, not included) comprehension questions after every chapter. The story kept his attention as much as it kept mine and he asked great follow-up questions about the plot and specific items found along the way.
I loved that Lolley encourages healthy adventure and exploration, alongside the excellent habits and characteristics aforementioned. Our society desperately needs these skills taught, reinforced, and modeled. How incredible to be able to share them now via an exciting story!
Thank you to Victory Editing Co-op and NetGalley for this ARC!