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358 pp.
| Little
| March, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-0-316-24008-6$17.00
|
EbookISBN 978-0-316-24010-9
(3)
4-6
Nicholas, an eleven-year-old math and music prodigy, must find Grandpa Rose's heirlooms to save his family's home where his beloved stillborn brother is buried beneath a backyard tree. Misfit allies (young and old), tattoo clues, smugglers' tunnels, and séances make for a lively treasure-hunt adventure. Music and math notations appear throughout the text, effectively and cleverly underscoring Nicholas's quirky voice.
56 pp.
| Random
| April, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-0-385-37544-3$9.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-385-37546-7$12.99
|
PaperISBN 978-0-385-37545-0$5.99
|
EbookISBN 978-0-385-37547-4
(3)
1-3
Translated by Oliver Latsch.
Illustrated by
Kerstin Meyer.
A humorous adventure starts when Stout Sam and his deckhand, Pip, find a pig washed up on shore. They soon discover that the pig, Julie, can smell treasure. She's a pirate pig! When nasty pirate Barracuda Bill steals Julie, Pip and Sam will do anything to get her back. Lively full-color illustrations add extra sparkle to this enjoyable treasure of a chapter book.
40 pp.
| Candlewick
| October, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-6229-5$16.99
(1)
K-3
Illustrated by
Jon Klassen.
Sam and Dave hope to dig up "something spectacular" but, alas, unearth nothing, repeatedly coming close to (but just missing) precious gems. When their dog, digging for a bone, ruptures the hole's dirt floor, the explorers fall "down, down, down," and land in what appears to be their own yard. Well-chosen words and plentiful white space support readers; cross-section illustrations add visual humor.
Reviewer: Sam Bloom
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2014
108 pp.
| Simon/Aladdin
| May, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4424-8267-8$15.99
|
PaperISBN 978-1-4424-8266-1$5.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-4424-8268-5
(4)
1-3
Mermaid Tales series.
Illustrated by
Tatevik Avakyan.
In Treasure, Pearl searches for hidden treasure in a sunken ship and discovers that there are things more valuable than jewels. In Royal, Shelly worries that a visit from her great-aunt, Queen Edwina, means she's moving away from her grandfather to live at the royal palace. Series fans will enjoy these latest slight underwater adventures and the cartoony illustrations scattered throughout. Glos. Review covers these Mermaid Tales titles: A Royal Tea and Treasure in Trident City.
(3)
4-6
Jupiter Pirates series.
In the second space adventure, Tycho Hashoone and his family of privateers search for hidden treasure while assailed by enemy pirates and government forces. Meanwhile, Tycho is competing with siblings to see who will be the next captain of the family spaceship. These outer struggles and Tycho's inner crises of conscience provide introspection and action, propelling the story forward. Glos.
120 pp.
| Holiday
| September, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-3165-6$16.95
(3)
4-6
Hunter and his large, quirky family star in a third enjoyable adventure in which the characters and their small town feature as prominently as the plot. When Hunter, his twin Zack, and neighbor Sarah search for the treasure rumored to be buried by the town's founder, their interactions with neighbors, teachers, and the town librarian beg to be read aloud.
452 pp.
| Little
| September, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-0-316-37086-8$14.99
|
EbookISBN 978-0-316-40601-7
(3)
4-6
Treasure Hunters series.
Illustrated by
Juliana Neufeld.
Twins Bick and Beck Kidd return, with their older brother and sister, seeking to free their kidnapped mother and find their missing father. With the help of a coded message from their mother, the siblings set off across Africa on an action-packed adventure, heavily illustrated with black-and-white line drawings. A welcome second volume in the series.
200 pp.
| Holiday
| April, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-2752-9$16.95
(3)
4-6
When River loses her pirate father after the 1811 Mississippi Valley earthquake, she joins up with African American keelboat pilot Annie Christmas. Peopled by both historical figures and tall-tale characters, this slangy-voiced yarn depends on its back matter for context, but readers may not care as they follow River's search for her Da and for Blackbeard's treasure.
214 pp.
| Simon
| October, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4424-7681-3$16.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-4424-7683-7
(3)
4-6
Randi Rhodes Ninja Detective series.
Randi Rhodes is a city-loving Brooklyn girl, and a burgeoning ninja detective. When her father, a famous detective novelist, moves them to the backwater town of Deer Creek, Tennessee, Randi ropes her new friends into helping her save the town's Founders' Day Festival by locating the missing bicentennial time capsule. Spencer's fun-filled, fast-paced novel includes an appendix of sleuthing activities.
(3)
4-6
Code Busters Club series.
On an overnight school trip to California's Carmel Mission, Cody, Luke, Quinn, and M.E. find themselves looking for lost pirate treasure. But they're not the only ones searching for answers hidden in riddles and old maps, and danger awaits. Kids will enjoy the story's interactive puzzles (solutions appended), and teachers will like the smooth connections to social studies and math topics.
32 pp.
| Putnam
| January, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-399-25173-3$16.99
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Geraldo Valério.
Half-Pint Pete the Pirate has half of a treasure map; Half-Baked Belle has the other. After they join forces, he intends to steal her share of treasure but steals her heart instead. With its simple plotting, dialogue-filled rhymes, and anything-but-menacing coed crew, this book is perfect for kids who are curious about pirates but too young for the hard stuff.
(3)
4-6
The feisty foursome from Manhattan's St. Veronica's School are back, solving yet another well-plotted mystery for tweens. This time, the girls are led to a secret cellar after finding a message hidden in a fountain pen. Fans of the series will devour this smart, fast-paced, multilayered detective story with its usual witty dialogue and intriguing puzzles to solve.
228 pp.
| Houghton
| June, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-547-76327-9$15.99
(4)
4-6
Tom finds himself on an unexpected adventure when a visit with his estranged uncle turns into a full-blown treasure hunt across Peru. A drug lord, car chase, buried treasure, and ancient mystery all collide in this novel, as Tom and his eccentric uncle search for the whereabouts of Francis Drake's fortune. A disappointingly flat ending puts the brakes on page-turning action.
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
N. C. Wyeth.
This handsome "repackaged" edition of the classic pirate-adventure story features reproductions of Wyeth's atmospheric paintings and the same typeface (Linotype Scotch No. 1) from the 1911 edition. The page design is open, with lots of leading between lines.
32 pp.
| Greenwillow
| May, 2011
|
TradeISBN 987-0-06-204068-8$16.99
(3)
K-3
Pirate lovers will get exactly what they expect from this text (with imperfect but serviceable rhythm) that begs to be read in sea shanty singsong. Cap'n Bones and his scruffy, stinky crew fight the usual obstacles to reach a treasure--that they then reject to avoid becoming civilized. Illustrations make the characters look like plastic toys.
(4)
4-6
Historical Fiction Adventures series.
Hannah, dressed as a boy pirate, returns in her third and final Revolutionary War–era adventure. She must complete her mission for the Continental navy while foiling the treasure-stealing maneuvers of an evil pirate captain. The pace drags in places, but historical facts woven throughout leave readers with a fair sense of the time period. Reading list, websites.
48 pp.
| KidHaven
| July, 2011
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7377-5140-6$27.50
(4)
4-6
Mysterious Encounters series.
Atlantis gives background on the mythical undersea place. Oak Island discusses the Nova Scotia locale's supernatural pirate history. Disappearances touches on the lost colony of Roanoke, the Bermuda Triangle, UFOs, etc. Stock photos and illustrations--some adequate, some cheesy, some unhelpful--break up the texts. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Mysterious Encounters titles: Atlantis, Mysterious Disappearances, and Oak Island Treasure Pit.
408 pp.
| Little
| May, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-316-04399-1$15.99
(4)
4-6
Homer (Smells like Dog) gets a much-anticipated invitation to join the Society of Legends, Objects, Secrets, and Treasures. He finds himself facing an unexpected challenger for the position left open by his late uncle. With treasure-sniffing Dog, Homer sets out to win his place. The somewhat muddled adventure takes its time getting underway, then moves at a good clip.
192 pp.
| Sterling
| June, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4027-7545-1$19.95
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Robert Ingpen.
This unabridged version of Stevenson's classic, following the adventures of young Jim Hawkins, Long John Silver, and the crew of the Hispaniola on Treasure Island, features new art by Ingpen. The heavy pages of this edition have the look of parchment paper and the illustrations bring to mind old oil-on-canvas paintings, providing a pleasing aesthetic.
264 pp.
| Clarion
| November, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-547-39016-1$16.00
(4)
YA
Hackers and parkour enthusiasts Danny and Omar compete against a Facebook group and a manuscript conservationist to find ancient gold. Through credulity-stretching strokes of luck, the boys, in the end, manage to get one bar of gold to pay off their debts. The plot line is hackneyed, but the story's unrelenting action, including vividly described parkour stunts, may appeal to reluctant readers.