Gold Dust Kids in the Superstitions is a suspense novel featuring a plot that revolves around disabled children at a ranch for equine-assisted therapy in the Superstition Mountains in Tucson, Arizona. The fable of the Lost Dutchman Mine plays a major part in the plot. The kids are: Cassidy 8 deaf with cochlear implant Jeremy 8 spina bifida with electric wheelchair Tony 9 blind due to eye tumors when toddler; uses echolocation to "see" Justin 8 Asperger's autism; draws with perfection Sammie 8 higher order autism; loves horses and assists with equine therapy Jefferson 8 middle-range autism; reacts with fear and panic to the outside world Secondary characters; A widowed ranch owner; a head wrangler with a secret; an unscrupulous rich neighbor who puts the kids in a life-threatening situation; one of the kids' companions whose insensitivity and amorous intentions create havoc, especially for Jefferson; a billionaire company owner who brings his autistic grandson to the ranch and provides the treasure for the Lost Dutchman; the equine therapy horses, and an extraordinary black stallion with an impact on several of the lead characters. Plot lines include: The kids' ingenuity used to survive by themselves in the desert; adventure in an Apache gold cave; a pony cart race with an unlikely winner; a carnival for their parents, and dangerous outlaws that turn a treasure hunt into a life-or-death situation. This book has humor, thrills, and a focus on the abilities and sensitivities of the disabled children, all with a southwestern flavor and a desert backdrop featuring descriptions of Mexican foods, desert locales, animals and plants, with the kids and the mystery of the Lost Dutchman Mine at the forefront. The author has lived in the desert and worked with young people for most of her life and depicts her love and admiration for them in the setting, language, plot and characters. She researched the locales, equine-assisted therapy for the disabled, and the specific disabilities of the main characters whose unique voices guide the story.

Author: Bausch, Nancy Lee
Publisher: iUniverse.com
Illustration: N
Language: ENG
Title: Gold Dust Kids in the Superstitions
Pages: 00000 (Encrypted PDF)
On Sale: 2010-07-08
SKU-13/ISBN: 9781450233156
Category: Fiction : Action & Adventure