Review of My Thousand Treasures

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "My Thousand Treasures" by Licia Chenoweth.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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When Raini Fraser finds a valuable lost coin, she also finds herself in a world of trouble. The adventure to learn the truth about her discovery keeps her tenuously connected to the pirate stories shared by her grandfather, whose precious memories are slowly being eaten away by Alzheimer's. Yet, those same adventures put her at odds with building a relationship with her estranged father, Gerry.

When Rai puts herself in danger trying to return the lost coin to its rightful owner, she quickly learns the value of having family and loved ones to turn to in times of trouble. But how will her father know she needs him when she's pushed him so far away? Will her mission cost her everything before she has a chance to realize the extent of her father's love?

Discover the answers in My Thousand Treasures by Licia Chenoweth. There were many things to enjoy about this fast-paced middle-grade adventure. I loved how Rai had a heart for seeking truth and solving the mystery of the coin, even though she seemed to find trouble around every bend. Her choices often have humorous outcomes, and I enjoyed watching her learn and grow as the story progressed. Her choices had consequences, and she learned much about love, forgiveness, and second chances as she faced them. This short novel also had quite a bit of suspense, and I appreciated that the author resolved the mystery by the end.

This book dealt with deeper themes like adjusting to significant changes. Previously, Raini only had her grandfather as her caretaker, so she had to learn about accepting her dad entering her life and filling an important role. This book handles this subject at an age-appropriate level for young readers and sets Rai up for more lessons to learn as the series progresses. I like how this book offered an exciting story alongside the heavier topics, which made it easier to understand how Rai was feeling and gave her room to make mistakes from which to learn.

I was surprised that Rai was left home alone after proving untrustworthy, but I could suspend my disbelief and continue to enjoy the story as it unfolded. This book is ultimately for readers of Rai's age who would love to have a parent-free adventure and who will learn some lessons along with the young protagonist. The book was also well-edited, with a few minor errors. Therefore, I give My Thousand Treasures five out of five stars. I'm excited to read more from this author!

I recommend this book to middle-grade readers ages 8-12. There were some suspenseful elements, including an antagonist with a gun, but no one was injured other than a few bumps and scrapes. The book includes some inspirational themes from a Christian perspective woven into the second half as Rai finds herself in the greatest danger. This portion of the story features encouraging words Rai remembers from her grandfather and Rai's prayers for help as her situation becomes desperate.

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My Thousand Treasures
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[Oluchi23]

The review is a nice one and I cannot afford leaving within reading this book. The book is autobiography of the author

[Natasha Kim]

This book is quite interesting. Rai's adventures and dangers she found herself in. She had encouraging words from her grandfather seeing her through desperate situations. I see that she made some wrong choices and had to face their aftermath and then learn from her experiences. Thanks for a great review

[Elina Tshabalala]

Sounds like this coin might bring a scattered family together again. Thanks for the review!

[TrishaCleve]

I enjoyed your review immensely.
I feel as though I already know the characters on a deeply porsonal level. Thirty years ago, give or take, I remember my Grandmother collecting pennies. I remember her saying that she was 'going to pay for my new car with those pennies one day'. I have been to the bank with her in the last five years to do just that. She also says, and believes, that 'everything in your closet will be back in style thirty years from now.' I have witnessed that statement coming into truth more than twice in my own life. And, for those two reasons, at the very least, I consider my Grandma Janice to be a Genius. I am of the mind that most of the OBC readers would think the same.
I am so fortunate to have such a great person in my life. Many times it was ONLY her and Grandpa standing beside me; 'That's what family does, girl. We love you no matter what,' she tells me.
She reminds me often that it's 'Us against the World. I Love you so very much. Don't ever forget that.'

Grandma, I will do everything in my power not to.

Thank you for your review. It is magical. Thank You.

[Ajibola Gabriel]

Try age the book is written for is quite young to be dealing with some of the themes in the book. There is even a mention of a gun encounter. It doesn’t sound like a fun read though.