The Unknown Altar

A broken stone. A secret road. A shy boy who has to find his voice.

When someone breaks into an archaeologist's storeroom in Philippi, Greece, and steals half of a mysterious marble tablet, Ash, Nomes, and Grandpa Abe are called to help. The tablet is carved with an anchor, a dove, and a line of tiny Greek letters, and it points to a trail that follows the footsteps of the Apostle Paul.

Ash and Nomes team up with Dr. Eleni's quiet grandson Theo. Together they follow clues from a riverbank where Lydia first listened, to the prison where Paul and Silas sang at midnight, and on through Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth. A smiling stranger in bright orange sneakers is always one step behind them. He wants the tablet, and he is willing to pay a lot of money to get it.

Along the way, Ash and Nomes learn that being kind and being careful can go together. And Theo, who has never been able to speak up when it matters, discovers that courage is not the absence of fear. It is doing the right thing even when your voice shakes.

The Unknown Altar is the third adventure in The Adventures of Ash & Nomes, a Christian mystery series with real places, Scripture clues, and kids who always tell the truth. It can be read on its own, but readers who start with The Missing Mosaic and The Borrowed Page will enjoy the whole journey.

Inside every book:

• A Lesson Learned page and 5 discussion questions for families and classrooms
• Grandpa's Greek Word, a fun look at the language of the New Testament
• Grandpa's Recipe, an easy Greek dish for kids to make with a grown-up
• A Real Places page, so readers can tell what is true and what is made up

This faith-based adventure is perfect for ages 8 to 12, family read-alouds, Sunday school and homeschool groups, and kids who love mysteries, maps, and stories with good values.

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version.