TREASURE HUNTERS

The disappearance of their parents inspires four children to take over the family business: treasure hunting.

Raised on board a ship and schooled in sailing, navigation, scuba and karate, Tommy, Storm, Bick and Beck are no strangers to adventure. When their father, professor Tom Kidd, is washed overboard in a storm, it is up to the four young fortune hunters to follow the clues and try to rescue their missing mother. But it is hard to know whom to trust when your allies are shady black-market dealers and spies and your enemies are ruthless pirates and dangerous surfer dudes. Luckily, the Kidd kids’ assets include Storm’s photographic memory, Tommy’s calm disposition, Beck’s hard-nosed negotiation skills and narrator Bick’s optimism. But even the most sea-hearty adventurers might flounder when facing the Pirate King. Wacky hijinks, a can’t-miss setting and quirky characters keep this breezy story afloat. A fast-moving plot, copious illustrations and short chapters will encourage even reluctant readers to test the waters. This new series promises it all: ruthless pirates, CIA spies, terrorists, stolen works of art and priceless treasure. More important, it delivers.

A high-seas adventure that will entice even the most confirmed of landlubbers. (Adventure. 8-12)