View detailed map of Riverbluff Cave (pdf)
Chronicle Books: Exploring caves—there are tens of thousands of cave sites across the United States—and learning about prehistoric animals are fascinating topics for young readers. Have you always been interested in caves, or was there something special about Riverbluff that sparked your interest?
David L. Harrison: I visited my first cave on my father's shoulders when I was four. As a boy I loved exploring caves on my own. In college I minored in geology and majored in biology. I published The World of American Caves in 1973. It was supposed to be a nonfiction picture book but the editor wanted a young adult book so that's what she got. I finally wrote a nonfiction picture book about caves in 2001. CAVES: Mysteries Beneath Our Feet was the first title in my seven-title series for grades K-3 called Earthworks. I thought I was finished writing cave books but when Riverbluff Cave was discovered and I spent a day in it, I knew that I was about to write my third cave book. That's how Cave Detectives: Unraveling the Mystery of an Ice Age Cave came along next!
CB: Have you spent a lot of time inside caves and if so is there a special experience that you would like to share?
DLH: Missouri is one of the nation's leading cave states with more than 6,000 caves reported so far. A lot of boys and girls in this region become familiar with caves. Mark Twain knew that when he put Tom and Becky in a cave. I've explored my share of caves but probably no more than many others. Maybe the difference is that I also bring a writer's eye for details and a scientific background to the books I write on the subject.
CB: What do you think it is about the Riverbluff Cave that makes it ideal material for a children's book?
DLH: Few writers have an opportunity to describe real science while it is happening. Riverbluff was discovered on 9/11/01 and by 7/19/02 I was in the cave and beginning my research. Over the next four and a half years I worked on the book I visited the cave several times and was in constant touch with the team of scientists who continue to find new evidence of ancient life in the cave. I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and with the right background to help bring science alive to young readers.
CB: Is their anything interesting you could share about this cave that you didn't include in the book?
DLH: Although few people will ever be allowed inside the cave (due to its scientific value), we have connected Riverbluff to the outside world via fiber optics. It is now possible to see the cave during live video streaming from cameras stationed inside. I recently interviewed Matt Forir (team leader) and Lisa McCann (team member) when they were in the cave and I was in a public library. Soon there will be a DVD made of that important first. No other cave that we know of is equipped this way. The whole uncut interview can be seen right now. Here's how you can watch the event at The Library Center: To view this conference via Windows Media Player, use the following URL: www.more.net/services/videostreaming/events.html. Click on Peek Into Riverbluff Cave, April 14, 2007.
CB: What did you enjoy most about writing Cave Detectives, and how was it different from writing a fictional children's book?
DLH: The research necessary to produce a first-rate nonfiction book requires a large amount of reading. As a former scientist I love the preparation for every nonfiction book. I never want to merely repeat and recast what others have already said on the subject. I don't read other children's books. I read college textbooks, journals, and original field notes when I can get them. Not until I could pass a college exam without errors am I prepared to write a book on the subject for young readers.
CB: How has your background in science influenced your writing?
DLH: A writer without training in science is at a disadvantage when explaining difficult scientific concepts in simple, understandable language to a young audience. I am grateful for all those classes in chemistry, physics, paleontology, geology, genetics, anatomy, physiology, parasitology, and numerous others that now guide me as a writer.
In Cave Detectives, a non-fiction "detective story" by award-winning author David L. Harrison and illustrated by Ashley Mims, we learn many fascinating facts about North American prehistoric animals. As the adventure unfolds, we discover that many generations of bears came to the cave. 
Saber-toothed cats, American lions, dire wolves with bone-crushing teeth visited too. The fossil evidence shows that even snakes, peccaries, mammoths, six-ton mastodons, musk oxen, enormous ground sloths, armadillos, and horses were in the area too!