The Treasure Hunt: True Stories of Treasures Lost, Stolen, and Found
Leisa Stewart-Sharpe
Illustrated by Gordy Wright
Charlesbridge
Ages 7-12
Available June 10th, 2025

Part puzzle, part informational book, The Treasure Hunt leads readers on a globe-trotting adventure in search of a mysterious ghostly pirate captain. After finding a message in a bottle, the reader and their friends set off to find the ghost of Captain Kidd, who is attempting to steal famous treasures from around the world. At each stop on their journey, they find a clue which points them to the location where Kidd plans to strike next. After solving the puzzles and chasing the ghost through several countries and encounters with priceless artifacts, they finally catch up with Kidd once and for all. Will hunting down the captain lead to his fabled lost pirate’s treasure?

Nonfiction information on treasures, heists, and artifacts is seamlessly integrated with The Treasure Hunt‘s puzzle game. At each stop on their quest, readers are given information about the location (including The Louvre, The Kremlin, and Mexico City’s Mammoth Graveyard) and the famous treasures therein. There are also spreads dedicated to stories of treasure being lost, including heists both solved and unsolved, and of treasures and artifacts being uncovered. Each stop contains a clue in the form of a puzzle – readers can solve this on their own, flip to the back of the book for a hint, or skip straight to the next page to see the answer. Each puzzle is unique, and readers will come away with knowledge of many types of puzzles and cryptograms, from pigpen and Caesar ciphers to rhyming riddles to crosswords. The book also provides suggestions for ways readers can take their new puzzle solving skills on a treasure hunt of their own, such as orienteering and geocaching.

Budding cryptologists and puzzle-solvers will find themselves right at home with The Treasure Hunt, and will especially enjoy the many puzzles and codes the book introduces to them. Pirate lovers and those interested in the world of thefts and heists will find plenty of information on treasures and the people who steal them. Regardless of whether readers are seasoned treasure hunters or not, they will come away from this book having gone on an exciting adventure, and hopefully having learned a thing or two along the way.