For as long as he can remember, people have warned Rudy not to play in the mines . . .

Fourteen-year-old Rudy Drummond lives with his mother and half sisters, Margot and Moira—"the M and M's"—in Pyramid Hill, California's legendary gold rush town. But Rudy's got a secret: He's terrified of dark, closed-in places. So when his best friend, Barney, and Tyler, the new kid in town, decide to explore the abandoned Pritchard's Hole mine, Rudy has to come up with an excuse for why he can't go without arousing their suspicions.

He tries everything, from babysitting Margot and Moira to giving a girl named Heather horseback riding lessons. But Rudy can't stop the other boys from venturing into the forbidden mine shaft—an expedition that brings back memories of being buried alive. During this summer vacation, Rudy will struggle to overcome his fears, fall in love, and become a hero as he makes life-changing discoveries about himself, his family, and his friends. A Junior Library Guild selection.

This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder.