Treasure Hunter's Handbook

Liza Gardner Walsh taps that youthful optimism/lust for riches in her Treasure Hunter's Handbook. . . .[It is] a cheekily useful children's primer to seeking fortunes mythological, geological, and man-made. Really, this is an activity guide for parents and caretakers. With equipment lists, step-by-step directions, and bright color photos, Gardner Walsh guides families through the basics of gold panning, geoaching, seeking pirate treasure, setting up a killer savenger hunt, and more. * Down East *
Treasure Hunter's Handbook by Liza Gardner Walsh, will be a welcome addition to the bookshelf of those children who busrt with energy, curiosity and a love of the outdoors. * The Quoddy Tides *
There is treasure all around, and Walsh gives pointers on how to find it. However it’s defined—pirates’ gold; buried metal discovered with a metal detector; geocaches or letterboxes; rocks, minerals and gems; or sea glass, fossils or meteorites—this book has solid advice on how to find it. Six chapters address each of these treasures in turn, discussing how to find them, equipment needed, methodologies, and some safety guidelines and codes of conduct. Some history is thrown in throughout, and a scattering of personal stories and interviews adds a personal touch. While Walsh states that the “best treasure hunters work from feelings of intuition, which means that you just know something without really knowing why,” she also points kids to local resources for finding treasures that don’t rely on intuition, and a bibliography at the end provides other informational sources to consult. While the text often highlights the state of Maine, the ideas and advice presented could apply in almost any area. Vocabulary is well-defined within the text, and full-color photos throughout show kids actively engaged in treasure hunting, their tools and many of the finds that are possible. Let the treasure hunting begin!