When 14-year-old Lauchie convinces his mother to let him work on a lobster boat for the summer, little does he know he’s in for the “absolute best” summer of his life. Out with his Uncle Ian one day, he hauls in a trap containing a mysterious old crock, a “sea gift.” In it is a letter dated 1632 that sets into motion a search for buried treasure. Ashby develops the Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, locale well, with its sudden storms, the smell of diesel and fish, and the beauty of the sea. The fog scene with leaping pilot whales is especially evocative. Fishing life, local Mi’kmaq people, old pirates, and modern culture come into play in this likable adventure tale. Though friendship with a local Mi’kmaq boy and success following his grandmother’s advice come too easily, this story of adventure, coming of age, and moral ideas has much to offer. (Fiction. 10-14)
