Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 03/01/2026 Gr 4–6—Below the quaint town of Norse Ridge, MN, a seemingly everlasting cave system holds secrets, treasures, and swine. Sixth graders Danny, Dolly, Mulch, and Amazon Shawn embark on a risky venture to find their beloved, possibly abducted history teacher Mr. Lindquist and some treasure. A dastardly plot to uncover the secrets and treasures of the caves unfolds at the hands of a would-be explorer from Spain and a principal from a rival school, who may be responsible for Mr. Lindquist's abduction. Thanks to a missing girl, her pigs, and a flying red sports car, these kids just might make it out alive. Short chapters and a fourth-wall-breaking narrator make this expedition an easy but fun read. Readers will enjoy the escapades of these sixth graders creating lasting memories and learning some hard lessons along the way. Larson combines Norse mythology, Spanish history, and small-town Minnesota lore to create an adventure with a modern-day Goonies feel. Characters are distinguished by build and hair color; additional description is minimal. VERDICT A beautiful high-stakes story of friendship; a must-read for fans of spelunking and good adventures.—Harley Smith - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 03/01/2026 *Starred Review* In a wild escapade that will spur many an astonished “Uff-da!” four young Minnesotans, styling themselves the “Hotdish Gang,” plunge into the scantily explored cave system beneath their small town in search of a well-liked, missing history teacher—and, just maybe, a fabled trove of hidden treasure. To front a colorful supporting cast that ranges from a herd of cave pigs to a descendant of Coronado, the rapacious conquistador, and Snotti, the little-known Norse god of tinned fish, Larson trots in a pair of eminently relatable leads: Danny Hall, “a bendy twelve-year-old with great artistic skill,” and his fierce, fearsome, and seemingly fearless best friend, Dolly Dahl. And as these spelunkers plunge into one pickle after another on the way to a raucous climactic ruckus and a shiny (if improbable) discovery, the author himself checks in occasionally for some explication or tone-lightening jokes about Iowans. Before an end that brings just deserts all around, he offers readers measures of homespun wisdom too, about the pleasures of living in a small town, of forming loyal friendships, and of taking leaps into the unknown. “I don’t want to go where it’s safe and we know what happens,” Danny says challengingly at one crucial point. “I’d rather have remember-whens than what-ifs.” Wouldn’t you? - Copyright 2026 Booklist.