Gr 4–6—Sixth-grader Laurie is miserable. Her parents have enrolled her in their alma mater, Tuckernuck Hall, which is falling apart and is about to be torn down by a vengeful school board. On top of that, her unfortunate classroom assignment is gerbil duty with the school social outcast, Bud, and everyone has to wear humiliating chicken hats for school assemblies. Laurie wants to transfer to Hamilton to be with her best friend, Kimmy, but her parents are fiercely loyal to the school and are convinced that the building has historical value and shouldn't be destroyed. Laurie distracts herself with decoding the puzzle the founder of the school created 80 years before. No one knows what the promised treasure is and no one's been able to unravel the clues. She ends up on a wild scavenger hunt with Bud, tracking down old items that hold famous poems, odd clues, and random letters leading them back to a chicken painting that began it all. But Hilda the chicken is not what she appears to be. Interspersed throughout the text are lists by Laurie and other classmates as well as email from school administrators, which give readers a window into what is happening behind the scenes. Bud and Laurie are well-developed characters, and the plot is fast paced and often funny. Readers are kept guessing about the treasure until the very end. A great read for fans of mystery or puzzles.—Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA
A sure hit.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Bud and Laurie are well-developed characters, and the plot is fast paced and often funny. Readers are kept guessing about the treasure until the very end. A great read for fans of mystery or puzzles.” — School Library Journal
“Whoa! Packed with plenty of humor, intrigue, and unexpected twists and turns, The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck kept me guessing until the very end.” — Lisa Yee, author of Millicent Min, Girl Genius and Warp Speed
“As fun and funny as it is mysterious!” — Adam Rex, New York Times bestselling author of The True Meaning of Smekday and Cold Cereal
“Fans of The Westing Game will easily get wrapped up in this hilarious, delicious mystery full of surprises, but be warned: you’ll sorely wish you attended Tuckernuck after reading this...sigh.” — David Yoo, author of The Detention Club and Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before
“The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck reminded me of a lot of my time in sixth grade, only with more mystery and treasure-hunting, and less benchwarming for the J.V. volleyball team.” — Mac Barnet, author of The Brixton Brothers Mysteries
“Funny, smart, mysterious, and playful-read it or risk being tuckered out.” — David Lubar, author of Hidden Talents
“This book has everything: action, mystery, hilarity, and gerbils! What more do you need? Plus, it leaves you craving doughnuts for some reason.” — Chris Rylander, author of The Fourth Stall books
Funny, smart, mysterious, and playful-read it or risk being tuckered out.
The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck reminded me of a lot of my time in sixth grade, only with more mystery and treasure-hunting, and less benchwarming for the J.V. volleyball team.
This book has everything: action, mystery, hilarity, and gerbils! What more do you need? Plus, it leaves you craving doughnuts for some reason.
As fun and funny as it is mysterious!
Fans of The Westing Game will easily get wrapped up in this hilarious, delicious mystery full of surprises, but be warned: you’ll sorely wish you attended Tuckernuck after reading this...sigh.
Whoa! Packed with plenty of humor, intrigue, and unexpected twists and turns, The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck kept me guessing until the very end.
Laurie does not want to be a Tuckernuck Clucker. Her plan: Stay long enough to solve the puzzle posed by the school's founder, reap the promised treasure, then transfer to Hamilton Junior High. Laurie is embarrassed by the Clucker regalia (chicken hats!). Worse, she is paired as Gerbil Monitor with Bud, the outcast who had sugary treats banned from school. It is while chasing an escaped gerbil that Laurie and Bud discover the first clue in the 80-year-old challenge. While the premise is familiar, children will delight in the over-the-top treatment and fresh delivery. The third-person narration indulges the comical, self-involved dramas of preteens. Nor are Laurie and Bud especially interested in the clues' highbrow references. After asking a teacher about Keats, Laurie assures him: "No, it's fine, I don't need to study him." Readers also find tips from Laurie on "How to Elude a Persistent and Overeager English Teacher," which include "Make excuses and back away slowly." Other lists, notes and emails are interspersed throughout, providing more insight into the characters and background for the story. Most poignant is the relationship revealed between Bud and his father. That Laurie and Bud will solve the puzzle is a given. The real thrill is how the characters begin to discover and determine their own futures as they go through the process. A sure hit. (Mystery. 8-12)
