Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure

If you are looking for a good middle school adventure set in the 1880s, take a peek at Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure, written by Susan K. Marlow.

After accidentally falling into a horse trough...and then landing in jail for her mishap...Andi plans a cross-country trek with her friends to escape further trouble. Instead, she finds even more.
Accompanied by Mitch, Andi's big brother, the group travels by horseback into the Sierra Mountains. They stop along the way to pan for gold. They do, in fact, find a surprising treasure, but they also find venomous snakes, a mountain lion, and outlaws. In addition, Mitch suffers a near-fatal injury, which forces Andi to take charge of the expedition. Andi's faith keeps her strong as she struggles to not only save Mitch's life but also outsmart a deceitful deputy.

What I Like: The characters in the book are likable, especially spunky tomboy Andi. The story moves at a fast enough pace and holds enough suspense to keep the reader interested. By allowing the reader to hear Andi's prayers, the author kept the religious aspect of the book in the forefront without getting too heavy-handed. I also liked that the book devoted a page at the front that summarized previous adventures in the series. Finally, I visited the author's website, and LOVED it! It offered discussion questions, book trailers, puzzles, downloads, and more. I believe this kind of computer extra is just the type of thing that will appeal to a middle school audience and make them appreciate the series even more.

What I Dislike: While I enjoyed the good, clean story, the plot was predictable...and, for me, the book, though set in the 1880s, had a very modern-day feel to it. Even so, I would strongly recommend this series to middle school girls.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: 8-12

Publisher Info: Kregel Publications, 2010; ISBN: 978-0-8254-3352-8; Paperback $ 7.99

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Special info: Visit this author's website.
Read a five-star CCBR review of another book by this author.