Monday, September 23, 2013

MMGM review: Treasure Hunters by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein

It was Talk Like a Pirate Day last Thursday, so I just had to read Treasure Hunters. Don't worry, I'm not going to talk like a pirate (it's harder than it seems...).

From the publisher:

The Kidd siblings have grown up diving down to shipwrecks and traveling the world, helping their famous parents recover everything from swords to gold doubloons from the bottom of the ocean. But after their parents disappear n the job, the kids are suddenly thrust into the biggest treasure hunt of their lives. They'll have to work together to defeat dangerous pirates and dodge the hot pursuit of an evil treasure hunting rival, all while following cryptic clues to unravel the mystery of what really happened to their parents--and find out if they're still alive. 

My thoughts:

Treasure Hunters is a book written for kids, not adults--and that is something James Patterson is known for. The premise is a bit of a stretch, but only for us adults. I can see kids, especially those into all things pirate and treasure hunting, loving this book. The pacing is brisk, the writing tight, and there's plenty of character voice to make the story come to life. 

A great book for your very reluctant middle-grade readers: it's fun, has illustrations, lots of dialogue--the pages turn quickly. 

How I found out about this book:

There's been a good amount of marketing for Treasure Hunters, so it was hard to miss. 


For more MMGM reviews, go to Shannon Messenger's blog....

5 comments:

  1. Are there active girls in it? I'm always on the lookout for books for Elizabeth. She loves pirates and doesn't mind boy-centered stories. But I think it's a bit easier for her to identify with a girl in the story.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes--there's a pirate sister. And this would make a good early MG book: illustrations, fast pace... I think she'd like it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I didn't know James Patterson had written anything like this. I have read a couple of his standalone thrillers. A good writer.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm a bit of a fan too, Prashant. James Patterson does a great job writing suspense.

    And he has quite a few YA books out (Daniel X comes to mind for teens), and many middle-grade books for ages 8-12. It's not award-winning stuff, but he sure knows how to write for kids who don't like to read.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I haven't read any of his books for MG readers- but this does sound like a book kids will really enjoy. Thanks for sharing!
    ~Jess

    ReplyDelete

April 2022 News (or: on reading slumps and lots of editing...)

  April snuck up on me like a thief in the night! I’ve been so busy writing, editing, and coming up with ideas for  Daybreak on Raven Island...