The Hollisters are written for a younger audience than the Famous Five books by Enid Blyton. Unlike the Famous Five, the Hollisters did not go on holidays alone without adults, and they did not usually five themselves in such extreme dangers. They still managed to live adventures and solve mysteries, though.

The books were written in the 50s and 60s, and it depicts a clean-cut, wholesome family, where children get along with their siblings and respect their parents. The plot is simple, as befits the target audience, and the chapters usually end in a cliffhanger to keep readers interested. The target audience is a bit too young for the books to appeal to adult readers, but then again they do not need to. Children between 5 and 11 are the target audience, and the books will work well for them.

This book happens right after the previous one (The Happy Hollisters and the Indian Treasure). It's a standalone adventure, but it happens on the same trip. The Hollisters are guests in a ranch, and they try to catch some cattle thieve. They also meet some friends who are looking for a mountain where the remains of the fabled dollmakers may be hidden, but unfortunately the locals believe that there is a monster there. ( )

The Happy Hollisters at Mystery Mountain: (Volume 5) by Jerry West
This story follows the family as they have left the Indians in New Mexico and there is a lead to a friend of the dad and they locate him and go to visit on his ranch.
They soon learn there is a bully in the area and he harms the kids. There are also sheep rustlers and we get to experience the rains. Like learning some Spanish words and what they mean.
The kids have found other kids visiting relatives and they have a book that explains where to find the mystery in the mountain. They are warned to stay away from the mountain areas.
Love the caretaker on the ranch who can predict weather and it's usually ONLY ever good to go fishing. Love learning more about sheep, so cool facts!
Kids love doing that also! So many dangerous things but it doesn't stop the kids at all. Love the plane rides! ( )

Los Hollister es la serie de libros que me inició definitivamente en la lectura. Recuerdo haber leído el primero y, con todo el dinero que había ahorrado por mi primera comunión y en todos los años anteriores, ir a por los 32 restantes, que costaban 600 pelas cada uno. Los compré todos en la feria del libro de Ceuta, lo recuerdo perfectamente, y volví a mi casa con dos bolsas y una mochila llenas de libros, que me duraron tres meses exactamente, para sorpresa/preocupación de mi madre.
Cada libro es el mismo, con aventuras algo diferentes, y con los mismo personajes, que no evolucionan nada en toda la serie. Pete, Pam, Holly, Ricky, Sue, puedo recitar sus nombres treinta años después sin consultarlo. Yo siempre fui de los Hollister, despreciando a quieres eran de los siete secretos, los Cinco o (puaj) Puck.
Junto a Mortadelo, los tres investigadores de Alfred Hitchcock y (a petición de mi padre) las aventuras de Guillermo, comenzaron a formar mi universo lector. Y por ello, aunque sean libros de lo más intrascendente, los considero fundamentales. ( )

Seriously? Maybe an innocent & ignorant child would like the page-turning adventure, but this corny book is implausible, sexist, and culturally insensitive. I'm sure the author meant well, as he does have let the girls have adventures, and does 'teach' the reader about 'Mexican customs.' But if the book weren't short, I'd not have finished it.

I think the worst part is the way the kids keep getting into scrapes, and are still allowed by their parents to take even bigger risks the next day. Oh, it's ok to get up in the middle of the night and wander away from camp - even though you got kidnapped you did fool the bad guys and so it's all good now. Um, no. Bad guys irl are not so easily fooled....

Tell you what. If you live in the US and have fond memories of this book, I'll ship it to you gratis. Then we can see if you still like it as much as you remember. Send me a PM. If you don't, I'll have to throw it away - I don't want to wild release it via bookcrossing and inflict it on some unsuspecting modern child. ( )