The treasure of Mad Doc Magee

First Title Value for Searching:

Personal Author:

Teele, Elinor

Edition:

First Edition.

Physical Description:

343 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.

Genre:

Historical fiction.

Action and adventure fiction.

Summary:

"The small, run-down town of Eden is the only place Jenny Burns has ever called home. The roots of the trees are in her bones, the air of the mountains is in her breath, the lakes and rivers are in her blood. And that's why, when her father loses his job and tells Jenny that they may have to move on from Eden, she knows she can't let that happen. The fever of New Zealand's gold rush still runs in the veins of Eden, and everyone knows the legend of Doc Magee: how he found the largest gold nugget anyone had ever seen and hid it somewhere in the hills before he disappeared. Jenny and her best friend, Pandora, know that if they can find the gold, it'll solve all their problems. But the way is fraught with mysteries, riddles, and danger--and those are just the threats they know about. Before her quest is over, Jenny will have to face challenges from within as well as from without."--

Subject Term:

Gold mines and mining -- Juvenile fiction.

Girls -- Juvenile fiction

Friendship -- Juvenile fiction

Fathers and daughters -- Juvenile fiction

Treasure troves -- Juvenile fiction

Mystery and detective stories

Audience/Lexile:

008-012.

700 L

Publication Info:

New York, NY : Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2018]

Subject:

Gold mines and mining -- Juvenile fiction.

Girls -- Juvenile fiction

Friendship -- Juvenile fiction

Fathers and daughters -- Juvenile fiction

Treasure troves -- Juvenile fiction

Mystery and detective stories

Otago (N.Z.) -- Juvenile fiction.

Historical fiction.

Action and adventure fiction.

Gold discoveries

Gold extraction (Mining)

Gold fields

Gold mining

Gold rush

Gold rushes

Goldfields

Goldmining

Goldrush

Goldrushes

Sites, Gold mining

Detective and mystery stories

Otago Region (N.Z.)

SAILS ISBN:

9780062345134

Available:

Library	Shelf Number	Shelf Location	Status
Searching... Dartmouth - Southworth	J FIC TEE	CHILDREN FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Elizabeth Taber Library	J TEE	CHILDREN FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Mansfield Public Library	J FIC TEELE	CHILDREN FICTION	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

A rip-roaring puzzle box of an adventure about grit, guts, and gold, from Elinor Teele, the acclaimed author of The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin.

The small, run-down town of Eden is the only place Jenny Burns has ever called home. The roots of the trees are in her bones, the air of the mountains is in her breath, the lakes and rivers are in her blood. And that's why, when her father loses his job and tells Jenny that they may have to move on from Eden, she knows she can't let that happen.

The fever of New Zealand's gold rush still runs in the veins of Eden, and everyone knows the legend of Doc Magee: how he found the largest gold nugget anyone had ever seen and hid it somewhere in the hills before he disappeared.

Jenny and her best friend, Pandora, know that if they can find the gold, it'll solve all their problems. But the way is fraught with mysteries, riddles, and danger--and those are just the threats they know about. Before her quest is over, Jenny will have to face challenges from within as well as from without.

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-6-Jenny, 12, loves the valley where she lives in 1870s New Zealand, even though it means dealing with the aftermath of the recent Central Otago gold rush. When she learns that her father has lost his latest job and that they will be forced to move from her beloved home, she is determined to find a way to stay. After talking things over with her best friend Pandora, she decides to track down the giant golden nugget that was rumored to have been hidden in the nearby hills by an eccentric miner named Mad Doc Magee. Jenny drags the clever but reluctant Pandora along, and they embark on a treasure hunt that takes them-and their friends Kam and Lok-on a Wild-West-style escapade, complete with ghost towns, treacherous mountain travel, and a devious schoolmaster. Along the way, Jenny learns quite a bit about friendship, loyalty, and how to stand up to prejudice. Peppered with colorful phrases and puzzles, this wild adventure will captivate readers from its humorous opening scene until its breathless climax involving a mountainside holdup and a surprising savior. VERDICT A good pick for collections where middle grade readers are clamoring for action-packed stories of daring deeds.-Sarah Reid, Four County Library System, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

Jenny's father is out of work, which means goodbye to Eden, Jenny's New Zealand hometown. But Jenny remembers the legend of Doc Magee, who found a huge gold nugget and then disappeared. With friends and a mysterious skeleton that's actually a map, Jenny searches for Magee's gold. Clues and puzzles abound to keep readers engaged throughout this fast-paced historical adventure, told by a colorful intrusive narrator. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

There's gold in them there pages.Teele takes her readers on a lively adventure through the hills of a small town called Eden in the waning years of the gold rush. In the mostly white small town of Eden, life for 12-year-old Jenny Burns is about to become a lot more complicated. Jenny's father, a former prospector, is about to lose his job and their home. With the threat of leaving Eden and her best friend, Pandora, looming, Jenny embarks on a mission to find a rumored golden nugget that's "bigger than a cowbell." Jenny teams up with Pandora, a pair of friendly Chinese brothers, and a slew of former prospectors to find the gold. But can those last truly be trusted? When part of the map falls into the hands of one of Jenny's greatest nemeses, the race is on to see who can deduce the clues faster. Teele injects a lot of personality into Jenny and her friends. Cryptography lessons are seamlessly interwoven into the story, and fans of puzzles and mysteries will eat them up. Teeleor at least her intrusive narratorhas never met a simile that she didn't like, but the sprinkling of antiquated words and phrases adds a pleasant touch to the story. The gentle subplots of heredity, illness, death, and conservation are an added bonus.A rollicking read for individuals and book clubs alike. (Historical mystery. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

When 12-year-old Jenny learns that she and her father may have to leave the only home she has ever known, she enlists the help of her best friend in searching for the large gold nugget found by Dr. Magee during the gold rush a decade earlier. Beginning with the mystery of a skeleton delivered to the doctor's long-abandoned office, the two girls collect clues, solve puzzling ciphers, and follow an elusive trail through the mountainous region where they live. The cover art suggests the American West, and references to the gold rush seem to confirm it, but the story's setting is actually New Zealand in the 1870s. The large, varied cast of secondary characters reflects the diversity of people drawn to the region by the promise of gold. The narrator, whose identity is revealed near the story's end, tells the tale in a folksy voice, whether describing a bar fight or a funeral. This chapter book may appeal to historical-fiction fans intrigued by hidden treasures, girls with grit, and unusual settings.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2018 Booklist