I love when books lend themselves to big life activities, and that’s exactly what Emily Ecton’s The Ambrose Deception does that in a very big way! The book is kind of a cross between Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and The Book Scavenger, both books that we’ve done in book club, and so I was very excited to bring The Ambrose Deception to life.
The book is about some kids having life issues who get asked to apply for what they’re told is a scholarship opportunity. It turns out to be something much more nefarious, but in the process they explore and have adventures all over their own home city of Chicago. I decided that we should do the same in nearby Durham, North Carolina.
NOW AVAILABLE: The Ambrose Deception: Raleigh, NC Edition!
To make this work, we needed parents willing to drive around the city, cell phones capable of doing research and taking pictures, and a few hours of time. In advance, I planned out clues and prepared everything our teams would need out on the road.
Because Bondi, Melissa, and Wilf, the kids in the book, ended up meeting at coffee shops to make plans over doughnuts, we chose to start our clue hunt the same way. We began at Monuts, a fair trade shop on Ninth Street that serves coffee, pastries, doughnuts, and breakfast/lunch items. Everyone ordered what they wanted independently, and we started out talking about the book and having fun over our preferred choice of caffeine or chocolate.
Next, I split the kids into their teams. We discussed the rules of the game, most which came straight from the book, and a few which were specific to us – like being respectful of others and their property and to be safe while adventuring.
I did create one special rule just for us. In the spirit of Enoch Ambrose, each photo turned in as evidence of having solved a clue needed to show both teamwork and adventure. I added in this challenge in lieu of the twist that Enoch wrote into his will with the three caveats: one takes you back, one takes you forward, one is a trick. This worked super well, and so if someone wasn’t taking part in the picture fun, I challenged them to try again and take another picture. 
I love how this group got into the spirit of this challenge! They’re in front of the Gamble House, and so they decided to act as if they were gambling. The picture doesn’t show how excited they were about this, but I heard all about it for hours afterwards!
When each team had submitted the correct answers for each clue, I sent them a clue to the final destination. This group got their first, and they were really excited about it! They celebrated with sodas and cupcakes.
They headed outside to take fun pictures with their certificates.
This made for a really fun book club. The clues sent them all over the center of Durham (though only to safe areas, of course). They researched to solve clues and visited historical sites, famous restaurants, sports venues, statues, fountains, and gardens. Putting this hunt together was really fun, …
but if you don’t want to design your own, I’ve added mine to my Teachers Pay Teachers store, so you can replicate the fun with your own group! You’ll find everything you need here.
*This product does require that you are physically in Durham, NC. If you aren’t, don’t fret! There’s a fully digital version on the way that you can complete from anywhere. Stay tuned!
NOW AVAILABLE: The Ambrose Deception: Raleigh, NC Edition!
If you decide to Host Your Own “The Ambrose Deception” Scavenger Hunt in Durham, NC, I’d love to hear how it goes! Comment below and let me know what you think!
In the meantime, what are you reading right now?
What are your thoughts?