Clara M Everhart

Some trails aren't meant to be found. This one wants to be. When twelve-year-old Eli Marsh joins the brand-new Hawk Patrol, he expects knot-tying and campfire songs - not a hidden map, a century-old mystery, and a storm that could end it all. Deep in Bell Ridge Forest, the five kids of Hawk Patrol uncover a secret trail marked with strange signs left by a scout who vanished decades ago. To follow it, they'll have to master real wilderness survival skills: tracking footprints through mud and moss, signaling across valleys with smoke and flags, tying the knots that hold a rescue rope steady, and living by the Scout Law - the code of honor, loyalty, and courage that turns strangers into a team. But someone else is following the same trail - and they don't play by the rules. As autumn turns to a wild, howling storm, Hawk Patrol must use everything they've learned - first aid, campcraft, nature study, and pure grit - to survive a night in the wilderness and save someone who needs them more than any badge ever could. Packed with outdoor adventure, friendship, teamwork, and a treasure-hunt mystery that keeps pages turning, The Compass Oath is a coming-of-age story about what it means to Be Prepared - for anything.