In honor of the upcoming release of The Adventures of Bubba Jones #4, we spoke with Jeff Alt about his inspiration behind the book, what sparked his love of hiking, and why he thinks now is the perfect time to read The Adventures of Bubba Jones series.

BB: Among many other things, you’re hailed as a hiking and camping expert. What first sparked your love of hiking?

JA: My parents helped plant the seed for my love of the outdoors. As a child, they took us kids camping, hiking, and fishing routinely. On one family adventure to the Great Smoky Mountains, my brothers and I packed provisions and hiked up the highest mountain along the Appalachian Trail for the night leaving behind our parents and a cooler full of food. That hike was the toughest hike I had ever done and I still felt it in my muscles a week later. I was so happy to be back with my parents and a cooler full of food the next day, but a feeling of accomplishment remained.  My love for hiking grew from there, which led to my Appalachian Trail expedition and many other long-distance hikes.

BB: The first book in The Adventures of Bubba Jones series was released in 2015, and tells the story of two siblings who travel back in time to our nation’s national parks to solve a family mystery. Can you tell us more about what first inspired this idea?

JA: For me, national parks have been part of my life experience, but many children have never stepped foot in a national park. I also realized that there weren’t a lot of middle-grade books about our national parks. I created this book series to entice kids with cool park facts and exciting adventures so that they would want to go visit each park they read about.  This book series is a fun way to fill the children with facts that they can share with their parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends. The books are loaded with facts to also fill adults with information as they read the series to children as young as five-years-old.

BB: How have events and characters from your own life influenced The Adventures of Bubba Jones series?

JA: My own childhood national park adventures have influenced many of the stories in the series as well as the parks I’ve chosen. The characters in my book series are a loose mix of all the positive family members and friends that have been involved in my own personal outdoor adventures. A very fun aspect of creating fiction is that you can make your characters bigger than life and mold the character to fit your story. 

BB: In each book in The Adventures of Bubba Jones series, you go into detail about the wide variety of plants and animals found in the national parks, as well as recount stories of each park’s first inhabitants. How much research goes into each story?

JA: The Adventures of Bubba Jones books involve several layers of research. Even though we have fictional characters and time travel, all the park facts are accurate. To make the story authentic, I explore each park I write about so I can get a genuine feel for what a family would enjoy (my favorite research step). This particular book was especially enjoyable because my publisher and his son joined me for a Grand Canyon adventure. While in each park, I interview NPS staff, local experts, and historians. I comb through the park museums and attend presentations. I photograph important aspects of the park for later recall. I fact check using websites, books, and articles. Then, my manuscript is edited by park staff and other experts (geologists, historians, etc.) for accuracy. This assures that the reader is getting the most current and up-to-date facts about each park that I visit.

BB: As the setting for Book Four, the Grand Canyon plays an essential role in the story. What made you decide to set book four in the Grand Canyon National Park?

JA: There are 62 National Parks in the U.S. and each one has its own unique attraction. I chose Grand Canyon National Park as book four in my Adventure of Bubba Jones series for several reasons.  

1. I have fond memories of hiking down to Bright Angel Campground from the South Rim when I was a young teenager while on a camping trip with my family. The night sky looking up from the bottom of the canyon was so amazing that it’s permanently burned in my memory. 
2. Grand Canyon is considered one of the 7 wonders of the world with stunning views which is also why it’s the second most visited national park in the U.S. and, 
3. I wanted the challenge of writing a Grand Canyon adventure that would resonate with kids and families. 

BB: If you could be asked any question about the book, what would it be and what is your answer?

JA: Can these books help us plan our Grand Canyon family adventure? Yes!!! All the adventures in the book are family-friendly and considered the best activities to do by park experts. As a matter of fact, the book includes a map and list of all the activities to help you plan your own adventure. The book is a great read-aloud to build excitement for your Grand Canyon adventure.

BB: Why is now the perfect time for children and their parents to start reading The Adventures of Bubba Jones series?

JA: With all the uncertainties due to COVID-19, The Adventures of Bubba Jones series allows you to explore our National Parks through literature and, if you ever travel to any of the parks in the series, it can help you plan your trip because you’ll be loaded with facts and what to do for fun.

Thank you to Jeff Alt for joining us for this Q&A in anticipation of his upcoming book! The Adventures of Bubba Jones: Time Traveling Through Grand Canyon National Park hits bookstore shelves on August 3rd. Pre-order your family’s copy today from Barnes & Noble or IndieBound to start exploring the Grand Canyon with Bubba Jones and his sister Hug-a-Bug!