Interesting adventure

I picked up 2 other books from my school's book-fair; I just finished the second. Sasquatch by Roland Smith, is a compelling adventure story. Cryptids and Cryptozoologists are terms I first heard about 15 years ago when I had a student who had Aspergers. He was fixated on cryptids (from the Greek "κρύπτω" (krypto) meaning "hide", are creatures or plants whose existence has been suggested but is unrecognized by scientific consensus and often regarded as highly unlikely.)*

Roland Smith is an author I have come to know over the past few years. The first book of his that I read was Peak, a more realistic adventure story centered on a young boy as he attempts to climb Mt. Everest.

Smith has written a couple of other books centered on Cryptids, Cryptid and Tentacles, and Sasquatch is a nice companion to those, though the characters are different.

Sasquatch takes place 18 years after Mount Saint Helens blew up (1980). The premise is that Bigfoot lived there, and many of the Bigfoot hunters believed that they were killed during the eruption.

In 1998, Dylan's father camps on Mount Saint Helens and believes he sees Bigfoot (in fact, Bigfoot saves him). He joins a Bigfoot Investigation society, and eventually joins a team that attempts to track Bigfoot.

Dylan becomes worried about his father's plans, and essentially tracks him and the Sasquatch hunting party. A great deal of trouble ensues, including earthquakes, a ruthless Bigfoot hunter, and a FBI agent who is tracking D. B. Cooper (an oddly nice tie-in, that works).

Sasquatch will draw in reluctant readers, and keep them hooked. It is a quick read that most 5th-7th graders will enjoy.

*source for Greek spelling etc: Wikipedia.