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TREASURE HUNTER'S HANDBOOK

Name: TREASURE HUNTER'S HANDBOOK
Author: Liza Gardner Walsh
ISBN: 978-1-60893-278-8

FOR KIDS

by Liza Gardner Walsh ; photographed by Jennifer Smith-Mayo ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2014

Let the treasure hunting begin! (Nonfiction. 7-12)

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There is treasure all around, and Walsh gives pointers on how to find it.

However it’s defined—pirates’ gold; buried metal discovered with a metal detector; geocaches or letterboxes; rocks, minerals and gems; or sea glass, fossils or meteorites—this book has solid advice on how to find it. Six chapters address each of these treasures in turn, discussing how to find them, equipment needed, methodologies, and some safety guidelines and codes of conduct. Some history is thrown in throughout, and a scattering of personal stories and interviews adds a personal touch. While Walsh states that the “best treasure hunters work from feelings of intuition, which means that you just know something without really knowing why,” she also points kids to local resources for finding treasures that don’t rely on intuition, and a bibliography at the end provides other informational sources to consult. While the text often highlights the state of Maine, the ideas and advice presented could apply in almost any area. Vocabulary is well-defined within the text, and full-color photos throughout show kids actively engaged in treasure hunting, their tools and many of the finds that are possible.

Let the treasure hunting begin! (Nonfiction. 7-12)

Pub Date: July 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-60893-278-8

Page Count: 96

Publisher: Down East

Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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SCARUM FAIR

by Jessica Swaim & illustrated by Carol Ashley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2010

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Prepare for a deliciously scary and occasionally gross carnival experience. This collection of poems takes brave readers on a journey past “The Ghoul at the Gate” and treats them to “Devil’s Food Cake,” “I-Scream” and “Cat-Hair Stew.” Once fortified, there are activities to do—“Pumpkin Bowling” or a “Coffin Race,” anyone?—and freaky folks to meet. Other creature features include the “Head Louse”—“This tiny pest / requires no care. / She’s happy strolling / through your hair / and laying eggs / that quickly hatch. / So every day / you start from scratch”—and the “Poison Dart Frog”: “Witch Clara has a tiny frog / that plays the cruelest joke / on creeps who try to capture him, / ’cause they’re the ones who croak.” Ghoulish subject matter, rollicking rhythms, lots of wordplay and Ashley’s creepy cartoons, filled with interesting details, will keep kids turning pages. Pair with Frankenstein Takes the Cake, by Adam Rex (2008), or There Was a Man Who Loved a Rat and Other Vile Little Poems, by Gerda Rovetch and illustrated by Lissa Rovetch (2008), for some frightful fun. (Poetry. 7-12)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-1-59078-590-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Wordsong/Boyds Mills

Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2010

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
THE HOUND FROM THE POUND
by Jessica Swaim & illustrated by Jill McElmurry

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PEA BOY

AND OTHER STORIES FROM IRAN

adapted by Elizabeth Laird & illustrated by Shirin Adl ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2010

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The engaging storyteller, who visited Iran both before and after the Islamic Revolution, gives some historical and political background in her introduction, but her focus is rightly on the people and their tales. Overall, the stories have little Islamic content, although “The Prophet Khizir” has a religious tone, and they share motifs with many stories around the world. “The Giant Okab” can be seen as a Beauty and the Beast variant, and “Miss Cockroach and Mr Mouse” is an older version of “Perez and Martina,” a Puerto Rican story that first traveled from the Middle East to Spain. Readers who have had broad exposure to folktales will have great fun comparing and contrasting the stories with those of other places; those new to folk literature will just enjoy them. Adl, who grew up in Iran, creates collages with quirky characters, a naïve folk quality and a modern artistic sensibility. General sources of stories from Persia (Iran’s prior name) are listed. A wonderful blend of traditional stories and original art that reflects the customs of this country. (Folktales. 7-10)