Hunter Burrows enjoys digging for lost dinosaur bones or Indian treasure with his father, Mitch. The treasures they find are anything from beautiful agates to gold coins to bones of creatures over seven hundred thousand years old. Their family getaway soon turns from a typical day of digging and discovery to an eventful journey surging with great mystery as they uncover the jaw bone of an ancient hobbit.

Not only does Hunter have to wrestle a dead object and be captured by the ghost of evil pirate Pete, but he also meets a girl who leads him into the most unpredictable of situations. Together they encounter the giant Makki, unravel the mystery of Surly Max, befriend the animals of the Baja, and fulfill the prophecy of the whispering tree. Plus, he learns a little bit more about who he is by digging deep within himself.