On the first day of summer vacation, best friends Vivian and Aiden find a party hat on top of Vivian’s mailbox — streamers swaying in the breeze. “That’s weird,” says Vivian. What they find inside is even weirder, and soon they’re off on an adventure to solve a set of clues.
In Nancy Bachana’s new book for kids, The Key to Puzzler’s Lock (2025), set on the Delaware & Hudson Canal, is a mystery/puzzle challenge for 7-10 year olds that sneaks in an age-appropriate introduction to canal history.
The kids combine Aiden’s puzzling skills with all Vivian knows about the D&H Canal that used to pass through their town. Mules pulled heavy boats of coal slowly along the water, all the way to the Hudson River.
Is the Puzzler a favorite teacher? The helpful librarian? The guide at the canal museum? Or is there a link to the past that Vivian and Aiden don’t even suspect?
The book features illustrations by Roxanne Bachana and is available online here.
Nancy Bachana is Education Director at the Delaware & Hudson Canal Museum in High Falls, NY.
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