The Westing Game
by Ellen Raskin
Age: 10+
Interests: mystery, crime, bad behaviour, treasure, murder More
The Westing Game
18 Oct 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 10+ Tags: bad behavior, crime, mystery, treasure
The Story of the Treasure Seekers
11 Sep 2013 2 Comments
in Books, books 9+, Classics Tags: adventure, bad behavior, England, family, money, siblings, treasure
The Story of the Treasure Seekers: Being the Adventures of the Bastable Children in Search of a Fortune
by E. Nesbit
Age: 9+
Interests: siblings, adventure, family, England, treasure, money
The Three Robbers
29 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 3+ Tags: crime, helping others, morality, orphans, robbers, treasure
by Tomi Ungerer
Age: 3+
Interests: crime, robbers, treasure, orphans, morality, helping others
Holes (2003)
05 Mar 2013 2 Comments
in Movies, movies 9+ Tags: cowboys, crime, curse, desert, family, family history, friendship, jail, mystery, racial tension, treasure, violence
released: 2003
rated: PG for violence, mild language and some thematic elements
length: 117 min.
age: 10+
scary factor: suspenseful scenes with rattlesnake, deadly lizards – nothing a 10 yr old couldn’t handle
violence: two boys fight; one boy whacks a provoking guard in the head with his shovel, knocking him out; in flashback a man is shot (in extreme wide shot – no closeups); Kate then shoots the sheriff in revenge; guards in work camp have guns, but only a lizard is actually shot
language: authentic but rather mild, for teenage boys: damn, hell, crap, Oh, my God… that kind of thing. (According to imdb.com there is one “jackass” but I didn’t even notice it.)
other: flashbacks depict scenes of racial hatred (burning down the school) and vague threat of sexual violence (drunken sheriff tries to force Kate to kiss him)
interests: mystery, desert, prison work camps, bad luck, family history, curses, cowboys, crime and punishment, buried treasure
next: read the book if you haven’t! Holes by Louis Sachar
The Enchanted Castle
08 Nov 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 6+, Classics Tags: adventure, castle, Magic, mystery, romance, siblings, treasure
by E. Nesbit
originally published in 1907
New York: HarperCollins, 1992
288 pp, 12 chapters
Age: (read to) 6 + ; (read independently) 8 +
Interests: magic, castles, treasure, siblings, mystery, adventure
Also by this author: Five Children and It, The Railway Children, The Story of the Treasure Seekers, The Book of Dragons
How I Became a Pirate
22 Aug 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 3+ Tags: adventure, boats, ocean, pirates, soccer, treasure
by Melinda Long
illustrated by David Shannon
Orlando: Harcourt, 2003
34 pp.
Age: 3+
Interests: pirates!, ships, ocean, adventure, soccer
Also by this author and illustrator: Pirates Don’t Change Diapers
Also by this illustrator: No, David! (Diaper David series), A Bad Case of Stripes, Alice the Fairy
Captain Pugwash: A Pirate Story
24 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 3+ Tags: adventure, boats, ocean, pirates, treasure
by John Ryan
London: Bodley Head, 1957
32 pp.
Age: 3 +
Interests: pirates, ships, ocean, treasure
Sequels: Pugwash Aloft (1960), Pugwash and the Ghost Ship (1962), Pugwash in the Pacific (1963) – and many more
Aladdin (1992)
12 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 6+ Tags: action, Arabia, castle, desert, genie, Magic, monkeys, Princess, romance, treasure, wizard
Rated: G
Length: 90 min.
Age: 6 and up Commonsense Media sez: 6 +
Scary Factor: villain Jafar is creepy and evil; the huge lion creature guarding the treasure is truly frightening; it devours a thief at the beginning, though this is not seen; in one scene Aladdin nearly drowns; villain’s magic in the climax at the end is pretty scary and huge – turning into an enormous snake and then an even bigger genie
Action: Aladdin is continually fleeing guards with swords – played for laughs but may be stressful; the scene when Aladdin’s in the cave is pretty heavy action-and-danger-wise (Indiana Jones-esque)
Bad Behavior: when the sultan is imprisoned Jafar’s parrot tortures him by force-feeding him crackers – this might be disturbing, or maybe just disturbing for adults!; Genie smokes a cigarette at one point
Sex: all females are scantily clad; a few kisses
Racism: many stereotypes of Middle-Eastern peoples and lifestyle; heroes sound American, while bad guys have Arabian accents
Language: very slangy; also name-calling: “stupid” “dumb” “idiot”
Interests: Arabian legends, magic, desert, folk tales, other cultures
Next: picture books of 1001 Arabian Nights, old movies like The Thief of Bagdad
Come away from the water, Shirley
06 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 3+ Tags: adventure, beach, boats, ocean, pirates, strong girls, treasure
John Burningham, author and illustrator
London: Jonathan Cape, 1977
22 pp
Age: 3 and up
Interests: pirates, seashore, boats, treasure
Also by this author: Mr. Gumpy’s Outing, Where’s Julius?, Avocado Baby, Borka
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (2009)
22 Mar 2011 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 4+ Tags: adventure, fairies, Magic, nature, strong girls, travel, treasure
Rated: G
Length: 81 min
Age: 4 + (because of rats; might be okay for 3) Commonsense Media sez: 4+
Scary factor: escaping from red-eyed rats is quite scary, but action-packed and moves along quickly. Encounter with trolls is quickly defused as trolls are more goofy than scary, and easily dodged.
Intense scenes: More troublesome for the very young might be moments of high despair for Tinker Bell, and scenes in which she loses her temper with her friends, however she apologies and learns from all trials.
Warning: Excessive Merchandise Alert!
Interests: fairies, magic, nature, adventure, travel, treasure
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