From CHILDREN'S BOOK NEWS
THE MOHOLE MYSTERY HUGH WALTERS
Once again Hugh Walters has produced a well-written exciting account
of the activities of Chris Godfrey and his friends Morrey, Serge and Tony.
In this instance exploration does not take place on Mars, Mercury or other
planets, but into the interior of the earth in the tradition of Verne.
The setting for the descent into the Mohole is Dudley in Staffordshire
toward the close of the present century. Readers who know Dudley will
experience Trease's "shock of recognition".There is a thrilling build-
up of tension from the opening stroll in Hyde Park on a hot summer's day
to the terrifying encounter of Serge with the egg-shaprd creatures and
the lethal bacteria in the much hotter underground cavern. As usual the
author is technical but not unbearably so, and more than half of the book
is devoted to preparations for the adventure. It is satisfying that,
when the attention of so many young people is directed to man's conquest
of space, Hugh Walters should point out that we know so little of our
earth. Boys of ten and over will demand more when they have devoured this.