Description
Sam and Annabel are on vacation with Annabel's parents in Italy.
While visiting the small hilltop town of Civita, they hear rumors of looted gold from World War II buried somewhere in the town's network of underground tunnels and caves. Once again the two friends cross paths with their old nemesis, Humphrey Battleford, but he is not the only one in pursuit of the gold. An intimidating man named Kurt, the grandson of a ruthless Nazi, is also snooping around. After Annabel is kidnapped, Sam must solve the mystery of the hidden treasure to save his friend.
This is the fourth mystery featuring Sam and Annabel, after Stolen, Bones and Lost.
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Contributor Notes
Born in Scotland, John Wilson is addicted to history and firmly believes that the past must have been just as exciting, confusing and complex to those who lived through it as our world is to us. Most of his thirty-four novels and ten nonfiction books for kids, teens and adults deal with the past. John spends significant portions of his year traveling across the country, telling stories from his books and about their historical background and getting young readers energized and wanting to read and find out more about the past. John lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 9 to 12
- Grade:
- 4 to 7
- Reading age:
- 9 to 12
Editorial Reviews
"The vocabulary is very suitable for the intended audience. The dialogue is extensive and realistic. The story is told in first person from Sam's viewpoint. That the chapters end at a high point and often ask a question makes this an excellent read-aloud choice. Gold is a high interest novel for middle readers and would appeal to students who like adventure, mystery, travel and realistic fiction. Highly Recommended."
— CM: Canadian Review of Materials
"Wilson's love of history shines in this high interest novel. Strong descriptions mingle with historical details making readers want to learn more about the places Annabelle and Sam visit…the characters are so likeable and believable the readers can't help be engrossed with the quirks of Sam, Pi loving Annabelle and her family, Humphry Battleford, the museum keeper Pietro and even Percy the dog."
— Resource Links
