Treasure Hunters for Middle Grade Monday

James Patterson is an interesting character to me.  He definitely sees a business opportunity in children's books and has been teaming up with authors to write books that will sell.  He also seems genuinely committed to making sure kids get reading by pledging money to independent book stores and speaking out about the need for children to become better readers.  Whether his intentions are altruistic, financial, or a little of both, he certainly is putting his money where his mouth is and producing books that kids want to read.  And in the end, isn't that what it's all about?

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Title:       Treasure Hunters

Author:   James Patterson and Chris Grebenstein

Target:    Grade 3-7

Series:     This is the first book in a planned series

What this book is about: 
The Kidd family are treasure hunters and they love life on the sea.  However, when their mother disappears on an outing in Cyprus and their father gets lost during a violent storm, the Kidd kids realize that they must carry on the family tradition.  It seems that their parents were in the middle of a deal to deliver an African mask to a shady character named Louis Louis.  Can the kids complete the transaction and figure out why there are pictures of world-famous paintings in their parent’s secret office?

Why I love this book:
Patterson has done it again.  He is committed to getting kids interested in reading, and is churning out books that definitely have all the elements to get kids hooked.  There is adventure, humor, great illustrations and short chapters.   Make no mistake, he is not writing award winners here, but these are solid middle grade action books that will get reluctant readers to pick up a book and will also satisfy the needs of avid readers.

Chapters are not long, illustrations are plentiful and laughs abound during an adventure where the twists and turns keep coming.  I also like the Kidd kids.  They are varied and interesting.  A set of squabbling twins, a handsome brother who is intellectually challenged (except when it comes to navigation) and a sister with a photographic memory who is not svelte, but is nonetheless beautiful.

Who this book is for:
Kids who like adventure and a good chuckle will enjoy this book, as well as reluctant readers.  If your kids liked Patterson’s series I Funny, then this one will be a slam dunk.

Final thoughts:
I have to admire both Patterson’s business acumen and his desire to get kids reading.  He doesn’t just preach that kids should read, he is actually out there writing books that he thinks will get kids hooked.

To purchase this book:
Click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Treasure Hunters  A portion of each purchase goes back to support this blog at no cost to you.