Tucker Thompson

Last but definitely not least, The Lost Deer Camp is the final book in Lane Walker’s Hometown Hunters Collection series. The book features the story of a boy who is going through a tough time when he finds out his parents are separating. The messages within this book are ones that are all valuable lessons to be learned, while also taking readers on another treasure hunt-like adventure. The 152-page book will be one that boys and girls alike will thoroughly enjoy, no matter what their interests are. As the last book in the award-winning series, this was a no-brainer that it would also live up to the hype of the other books in the hunting series.

Tucker had never hunted a day in his life, nor really even experienced the great outdoors. This all changes when his troubles take him too far and he ends up having to go and stay with his Uncle and Aunt in a town within the Upper Peninsula in Michigan called Plainsville. Tucker would never guess what he would come to learn on his eleven-day stay on their hobby farm. During his stay, never would he ever imagine that he would grow to appreciate hunting, or that he would find out about an old deer camp that once thrived on the land. The Lost Deer Camp is a story told from Tucker’s point of view on his new experiences and lessons learned during his visit out on his aunt and uncle’s 300-acre property. This is another one of Lane Walker’s thrilling adventure stories, that also includes very meaningful life lessons within that is a perfect choice for any reader who favors an adventure chapter book.

Tucker Thompson’s life gets turned upside down and just when he thinks things cannot get any worse for him, his mother tells him that they have to move. Angry at his parents for giving up on their family, Tucker continues to round up trouble at his new school. He would take one of his pranks too far, and end up getting expelled from school. When his parents become desperate, not knowing how to help him any longer, they decide to send Tucker up to the even smaller town of Plainsville to stay with his Uncle Ed and Aunt Loretta. Working with his Uncle Ed on the farm and hearing about his old hunting stories sparks an unexpected and new interest in Tucker for the outdoors. Having a lot of time to do some reflecting on himself and his troubles, Tucker’s rough edges slowly begin to smooth out. The great outdoors and his stay with his Uncle Ed and Aunt Loretta were exactly what he needed to begin to heal the anger he harbored towards his parents, as well as the pain within himself.

Life for Tucker as he knew it, was over...or so he thought. After his parents told him and his younger sister they were getting a divorce, Tucker formed a great deal of anger within. He lost all interest in his favorite activities and decided to dedicate his time to being a troublemaker. When he arrives at his Uncle Ed and Aunt Loretta’s hobby farm in Plainsville, the darkness within him begins to lighten. Having little to no experience in the outdoors, an interest in hunting begins when he sees a six-point buck while out in the woods one day with his uncle. That buck would ignite a new flame inside of him that would help Tucker heal, while also experiencing other treasured and exciting lessons along the way. When Tucker starts reading an old journal filled with stories from an old deer camp, he comes to find out that it was based right on Uncle Ed’s land. There’s just one problem--the camp was located in the West Woods. Tucker pretty much had free-reign out on the 300-acre land, except for the West Woods, he was never allowed out there. Curiosity takes over and he decides that he must wander out to the West Woods--he has to see the camp with his own eyes! Tucker’s eleven-day stay in the Upper Peninsula with his Aunt and Uncle would be some of the best days that he has had in a long time. In this chapter book for kids, learn how one dusty, old journal filled with the history of deer hunting, takes Tucker and his Uncle Ed on an adventure refueling the past history that once filled the 300-acre land.

The Lost Deer Camp was another favorite fictional adventure book for me to read. I thoroughly enjoyed each chapter. Lane Walker does a wonderful job with telling and illustrating both the story and the character developments. The story is well-written, keeping me entertained the whole way through, while also offering up valuable lessons to takeaway. Don’t let the story of the divorce stray you away, as many other obstacles in the book get resolved, Tucker’s parents also get back together. I truly enjoyed this book, it really held my attention the whole way through as it was another great adventure story in the collection. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fictional adventure books. The Lost Deer Camp was a great story of a troubled boy, who goes to the woods, and not only learns about himself, he learns about the adventurous history that used to fill the 300-acre land.