Twelve-year-old Josh and his father arrive in the very small, run-down town of Oasis, Arizona for the summer -- Josh's father for work and Josh for fun. But Oasis is poorly named. It's hot, dry, and certainly not much fun. As Josh explores the dusty little town, he uncovers a heartbreaking story that has paralyzed the entire community -- the previous summer, in hopes of finding a long lost shipment of gold, three kids set out across the desert never to return. Amidst this gloomy place Josh discovers a few kindred outcasts who are also willing to resist the dreary routine. When this secluded group stumbles upon a map of their own, they do the unthinkable -- they go after the treasure themselves. With an inept search party on their trail, and plagued by storms, crooks, and the land itself, they slowly make their way to the heart of the desert. Will they find the lost gold, meet the same fate as the missing kids, or discover something completely unexpected?