The Treasure Hunter's Handbook

Gr 3–6—This fun book details some unique activities that will offer a sense of adventure, exploration, and perceived independence, though the author is clear on the necessity of safety precautions and adult involvement. A theme of discovering treasures runs through the book, including pirate booty, gold, metals, rocks, minerals, gemstones, sea glass, fossils, and meteorites. A chapter is devoted to each kind of treasure hunt, with straightforward instructions on how to proceed and necessary equipment. Though family-friendly vacations might be planned around the pursuit of a specific treasure, Walsh suggests that hunting can easily take place in the woods, beaches, or streams close to home and even in one's own backyard. One section of the book is devoted to geocaching and letterboxing, two challenging activities that require unraveling clues or codes to locate a hiding spot with treasures contained within; once the spot is discovered, the hunter adds to the treasures, thus participating in a community of like-minded people. This book is a treasure trove itself when it comes to noting nonfiction text features. A wonderful introduction to some fun-filled, unique forms of recreation, the book uses exposition, photos, bullet lists, and text boxes. While instructions are provided for making an old-fashioned treasure map, more sample maps might have been a useful addition to this otherwise excellent book. One other minor drawback is the absence of an index.—Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT